Essence
by vincentgrey21
Summary: Ash has always wanted to be a pokemon master. When the time comes for him to pick out his first pokemon, he shocks Professor Oak with a peculiar request. One thing leads to another, and he ends up with a loyal Growlithe. How will this unique situation affect the boy's destiny?
1. Kanto 1

A/N: This is the first chapter of Essence. This story will be a much more proactive and aggressive take on Ash's journey. Some things may be similar to the anime, but a lot of it will be entirely new. Before you begin to read, please understand that this is my story. If you don't like it that's fine; I don't even care if you trash the story with trollesque reviews. Just know that I will not be doing any polls, and just because it's fanfiction doesn't mean that I'm going to ask my readers what direction to take the story. On that note, enjoy the first chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon.

**Kanto 1—beta read and re-edited as of July 3, 2015. Special thanks to _Pwnerbrad_ for helping me retrospectively filter out the mistakes in the original chapter.**

Kanto 1: Essence

He took a deep breath to calm himself down as he entered the professor's lab. This was the moment he had been waiting for. For the majority of his short life, he had dreamt of the day that he would start his journey as a pokemon trainer. That journey was about to begin; therefore, it only made sense that his emotions were jumbled together in what felt like one giant knot of hyperactive confusion.

The boy only had a short moment to take in the familiar scenery of the well-organized laboratory before he was greeted by one of the professor's assistants. He recognized the tall, greasy haired man as the assistant that supervised the Trainer Qualification Exam a couple of months ago.

"Nice to see you again, Ash," the man spoke with a quiet tone and a bland expression.

Ash desperately tried to remember the assistant's name, but had no luck. He reached out to shake the man's hand as he truthfully replied, "Same to you. I'm embarrassed to say this, but could you remind me of your name?"

The assistant scratched the back of his head as he sighed. "The names Thomas. I can't blame you there; the only person working at this lab with a recognizable name has the damn building named after him."

Even though he could see the truth in the statement, Ash simply ignored the comment not knowing how to respond. The only famous name out of Pallet was the good, old Professor Samuel Oak, which was something Ash was hoping to change.

The assistant scientist led Ash through the main hall of the lab, which was embellished with all sorts of fancy scientific equipment and pokemon apparel. They slowly approached a door in the way back of the hall that oozed confidentiality. Oak's assistant, Thomas, timidly knocked on the door. Moments later, a lively elderly voice rambunctiously answered.

"Come in, the doors always open!"

Ash's thoughts quickly erased any impression of confidentiality that he had picked up on moments earlier.

Once they entered the new room, the dark-haired boy immediately recognized the owner of the cheery voice as Professor Oak. The professor hastily pushed aside whatever paper work he was attending to before jumping up from his desk to greet Ash.

"Goodness gracious, Ash, you're thirty minutes early," said the professor. "I thought I clearly stated nine o'clock on the email I sent your mother."

Thomas subtly took this as his cue to leave Ash in the hands of his boss. He exited the room quietly and shut the door behind him.

The dark-haired boy gave the professor a slight smile before replying, "Come on, professor, give me a break. I was too excited to wait. Besides, have you ever known me to be late for anything?"

The professor merely shook his head in a manner that portrayed disconcertion. He expected nothing less from his grandson's childhood friend. Nevertheless, Ash's sense of responsibility always impressed him.

"Your character never seizes to be refreshing, Ash," jeered the professor. "Although, in order for things to be fair, I can't present the starters until the specified time."

The newly eligible pokemon trainer flashed the professor an inquisitive look, "But, professor, would it be unfair if I chose not to pick from the three standard Kanto elemental starters?"

The professor raised a curious eyebrow, "Elaborate please?"

Ash suppressed a jolt of excitement while being careful not to get too carried away. If he knew the professor, and he did, he was one good explanation away from getting what he wanted.

"I want a journey of excitement; it doesn't make sense for me to start the same way everyone else does," said the boy passionately. "Nothing against the Kanto starters, but I'd like to be different."

Oak hadn't had a request like this in quite some time. The professor thought it over for a brief moment before giving an answer, "Well, I suppose that would be alright. What do you have in mind, Ash?"

Ash didn't hesitate, "That depends on what you got?"

The professor placed his hand under his chin, making it obvious to Ash that he was mulling over different possibilities. "Well, we're never short on pidgey?"

Ash quickly declined, "No, I'll catch one myself. Besides, I don't like the idea of having a flying-type as my starter."

Oak didn't take too long to spit out another option. "I think there are a few young nidoran. You can pick from either gender?"

Once again, Ash thought it over for a brief moment before declining. "I'll pass. I like nidoran, but I'd rather have my starter be a little less rash."

"Understandable; loyalty and compatibility are very important when you first start out," replied the professor.

Unfortunately, Ash could tell that Professor Oak wasn't sure how many more suitable options he had. He mentally pictured himself walking out of the building with several unseemly starters before he saw an enlightened expression on the professor's lived-in mug.

"If loyalty is what your looking for, Ash, my arcanine just hatched a couple of growlithe pups a few months ago," stated the professor with a smirk.

Ash listened to the professor intently.

"I was planning on giving one to Gary as a late birthday present. I suppose you could have the other," offered the professor.

Ash nearly jumped out of his shoes in excitement at the idea of having a growlithe of his own. He had always admired Professor Oak's arcanine. It was one of many pokemon that Ash, and his best friend Gary, grew up playing with. The dark-haired boy also was aware that the species was typically brave and faithful, which was the type of characteristics he wanted in his starter. Before he could make a decision, though, he would have to meet the young fire-type canine.

"Can I meet it first, professor?" asked Ash, delighted by the suggestion.

Professor Oak smiled, approving of Ash's request. Oak reached into the side pocket of his pristine, white lab coat and took out some sort of miniature, mechanical mechanism that resembled a key. He told Ash to wait where he was and walked out of the room. A few minutes later, the professor returned holding a red and white spherical device. It was perfectly symmetrical, designed in such a way that one half was red and the other was white. The two halves were scrupulously meshed together by a streak of black that lined it's way around the circumference of the ball. The release button was located in the center of the carefully constructed figure.

The professor warned Ash to take a few steps back while he wasted no time in releasing the growlithe from the confines of its pokeball. Ash wiped off the sweat that anticipation had produced upon his forehead, and gazed at the resulting flash of bright, white light emitted by the release. The incandescent light faded, leaving a medium-sized, quadruped pup in its stead. The pup had an orange coat with beautiful black stripes that barred across its back and legs. The long regal fur on its head and chest matched the off-white creamy color of its tail.

The growlithe immediately felt Ash's presence and cocked its head slightly to the side. It looked Ash over curiously with its lambent, grey eyes.

Ash adamantly looked Growlithe in its eyes by the use of his own. He would admit that he didn't have an extensive amount of knowledge on the loyal fire-type, but he knew enough to understand that in order to procure Growlithe's allegiance smoothly, he needed to gain its respect. Ash always felt that respect and first impressions often relied upon each other. A good first impression usually led to respect. A prior lack of respect for another, based off of assumption, usually tainted a first impression.

Without breaking eye contact, Ash crouched down and signaled Growlithe over to him.

The intensity in the dark-haired boy's deep brown eyes caused Growlithe to hesitate momentarily. Nevertheless, it didn't take long for the young pokemon to recognize the care in the boy's posture. The boy had brought his body down to nearly eye level, making sure that the first encounter was on equal terms. Growlithe saw this and recognized it as a good-hearted gesture. Most of his experiences with humans made him out to feel inferior.

This one was different. The boy was thoughtful.

The growlithe decided that it was safe to get closer. It slowly made its way towards the young boy, desiring the child's will power. But...it was not quite yet ready to submit.

Ash made the decision to let down his guard, softening his facial expression with a smile. He slowly reached out his hand, and gently ran his fingers through the soft creamy colored tuft that sprouted from the growlithe's head.

Growlithe didn't resist, allowing the human boy to do as he pleased. All anxiety was put to rest when it saw the boy's friendly grin.

While petting the young growlithe, Ash turned his attention back to the professor.

"Professor, if it's okay with Growlithe, I would love to start my journey with it by my side," said Ash, with a smile. "I think we would will make a great team."

Growlithe caught on to what was happening and wagged his tail in excitement. This human boy had all the properties of a good companion. Maybe he could be to him, what Professor Oak was to his mother. Growlithe broke any boundary of personal space with a lick of approval to Ash's face.

Professor Oak didn't need any further convincing. Growlithe were born understanding human speech, so he knew that there wasn't a communication error. It was obvious that the young fire-type had no problem being Ash's partner.

Oak couldn't help but smile at the two newly acquainted friends.

"I think it would be an injustice if you had any other starter," said the professor. "I approve your request. You may have _him_."

Ash gave Growlithe a big hug of acceptance. Growlithe returned the act of affection with another lick to Ash's face, resulting in a room full of laughter.

Professor Oak finished the acquisition by registering Growlithe's pokeball under the name Ash Ketchum, along with providing the newly registered trainer with five empty pokeballs and a starter pokedex—activated through Ash's newly acquired trainer account. In addition, Professor Oak gave a brief review of some of the basic functions of the pokedex. There was no need to go in depth, since preknowledge of the tablet sized supercomputer was needed in order to qualify as a trainer.

Last of all, Oak handed Growlithe's pokeball to Ash.

"Alright, Ash, your all set," said the professor. "I would like for you to return Growlithe as you exit through the main lab. However, I think it would be a good idea to release him as soon as you exit...that way you two can get to know each other better."

Ash agreed with the professor and asked Growlithe if he would be okay with going back into his pokeball for a little bit. Growlithe didn't seem to hate the idea, so Ash returned him.

Professor Oak walked Ash back to the entrance of his lab. He proceeded to ask Ash to give him a call when he reached Viridian City. Given that it's the only rational way to go, all trainers starting in Pallet Town traveled to Viridian City at the beginning of their journey.

Ash nodded his head in agreement, respecting the professor's wishes.

As Ash exited the building with his very first pokemon resting in the lone pokeball attached to his belt, the professor and the newly registered trainer said there goodbyes.

XXX

Ash and Growlithe cheerfully walked down Pallet's dirt path together. Before they could set off to Viridian City, they had to stop by Ash's house. He still had to pick up his backpack and say goodbye to his mother.

Since the walk from the lab to his house was decently long, he decided that now was as good a time as ever to become more acquainted with his starter. He figured the best way to do that would be to share everything he could about himself. The dark-haired trainer shared his goals and desires. He told Growlithe about how he aspired to be a pokemon master. He admitted that he wasn't quite sure what that looked like yet, but figured a good place to start would be Kanto's Gym Circuit.

Amongst the many things Ash had told Growlithe, the piece of information that stood out to the canine the most was Ash's goals for his pokemon. Ash was extremely passionate about potential. He felt that any pokemon he caught needed to be trained to reach its limit. He desired that by the time he retired as a trainer, he would be able to tell all of his pokemon that he tried his very hardest to make them the best he could. This was an attitude Growlithe could get behind. Most trainers desired to strengthen themselves; the best trainers pursued the strength of their pokemon.

Ash also explained to Growlithe how unique it was to start with a member of his species. He did his best to ensure that Growlithe understood that things would be fun, but not easy. Both of them needed to give their maximum effort. Ash expected Growlithe to be a leader amongst his future friends.

Growlithe yearned for the challenge. He wanted to take Ash to the top. He wanted to be the Pokemon Master's powerful starter.

Growlithe promised himself to do everything within his power to create that reality. Ash wanted to raise Growlithe to an elite level. That way, one day, Growlithe could be recognized as the strongest arcanine in the world.

The two new friend's conversation was cut short right in front of Ash's house. There was a massive group of people who he recognized as several of his neighbors. They hoisted large poster board signs reading his name and wore all kinds of ridiculous accessories. It didn't take long for Ash to recognize the woman in charge. It was his mom.

He instantly felt like turning around and walking the opposite direction, but elected to face the embarrassment head-on instead of insulting his mother.

She turned around just in time to see her son approaching. He was supposed to be at the lab, so she was initially surprised. However, it didn't take long for her to figure out why he was already back. That question was answered by the cute little growlithe that was following him. She was slightly bummed that she wouldn't get to surprise her son at the lab. But, she quickly discarded any negative thoughts. She could never be upset at the sight of her baby.

After taking a closer look, she noticed that Ash was wearing the outfit that she had put together for him a couple of days ago. The dark gray pants and black, long-sleeved shirt looked rather good together. She wished he would keep his hair combed for once, but unfortunately, that was a fools dream. Ash never went anywhere without his tattered, old Pokemon League cap.

"Mom, what's going on?" asked the young boy as he neared his mother.

She waved off the neighbors as she stepped up to greet her son.

"We were going to go to the lab to see you off," she smirked. "Come on, Ashy, you know that if I do something, I do it big."

Ash couldn't help but laugh.

"That's true I guess," he looked at the neighbors and mentally chuckled at what they were wearing. "Was it really necessary this time, though; and why are they dressed like that?"

The neighbors shook their heads, not knowing the answer to that question themselves. Delia Ketchum had a way of getting what she wanted...when she wanted it.

His mother simply disregarded the question and brought her attention back to Growlithe.

"Ash, don't be rude. Please introduce me to your friend," requested his mother.

The dark-haired trainer introduced Growlithe and his mom to each other. He then proceeded to fill his mother in on everything that had happened at the lab. His mom listened, all the while, she was bent over running her fingers gently through the cream colored tuft of fur atop Growlithe's head.

Growlithe could see where Ash's thoughtfulness came from. His trainer's relationship with his mother reminded him of his own.

Ash's attention shifted when he realized that his mom was wearing his backpack.

Delia caught onto her son's change of focus, and took off the pack and handed it to him.

They packed for this journey the other day. He had made sure to pack all that he could for his first trip to Viridian, and his mother made sure he didn't forget anything important.

Delia smiled, "You packed well, the only thing I needed to add was a couple more clean pairs of underwear."

Ash's face lit up to a vibrant, tomato red. He waved his arms back and forth frantically as he shouted, "Mom, how many times have I told you!? Please don't say things like that in public!"

Ash could hear the remaining neighbors snicker. They would miss this: the mother and son comedic duo that never got old. Their humor was one of the many reasons that they were loved by everyone in town.

The mood changed from lighthearted to solemn like the flip of a switch. Goodbyes between mother and son seemed to have that kind of effect. There was no longer a reason for Ash to go inside. Now that he had his backpack, it was time for them to be on their way.

Part of her wished that Ash could stay home forever, but he was ten now. So young, but old enough to see the world for himself.

Change was hard...

Ash's mother was now in tears as she embraced her son with a tight hug. He did his best not to cry. Ash had always felt uncomfortable crying in front of other people, especially his mom. Besides, he knew that if he were to shed a single tear, his mother would probably completely break down in public.

Before Ash could leave, Delia bent down to say goodbye to Growlithe. The look she had on her face portrayed seriousness, "Growlithe, I expect you to take good care of my son."

The puppy pokemon barked firmly to reassure her that he would take good care of Ash. He wouldn't be able live with himself if he let the strong-willed woman down.

His mother then brought her gaze back to Ash.

"You're not off the hook either, Ash," she spoke to both of them, "you guys are partners now. You need to take care of each other."

The two friends nodded in agreement, understanding that they both had a brand new responsibility. It was a responsibility that depended on them working together to strengthen their teamwork and grow as individuals.

Ash gave his mother one more big hug before saying goodbye one last time.

His mother excused the remaining neighbors, and blew Ash a kiss, before going back inside her home.

Ash and Growlithe continued once again down Pallet's dirt path. They headed north towards Viridian City.

XXX

Ash and Growlithe had just about reached the edge of town when Ash heard a familiar voice coming up from behind.

"Ashy-boy, wait up!" yelled Gary Oak as he closed the gap in between he and his friend.

Gary was the grandson of Professor Oak as well as Ash's best friend. Ash turned around to find a panting Gary. The brown haired boy was bent over, breathing heavily, while grasping his knees.

"Shouldn't you be at the lab, Gary?" Ash asked dryly.

After taking a moment to catch his breath, the brown haired boy replied, "Um, I would be, but someone decided to set off on his journey without a proper goodbye."

Ash had actually thought about that before he left, but figured they'd run into each other sooner or later. His friend Gary tended to be a little bit over dramatic.

"I wanted to get a head start," said Ash with a shrug.

Gary crossed his arms with a scowl, "It looks to me like you went to the lab early to make a special request."

The brown haired boy transitioned his attention from Ash to Growlithe, "So Gramps let you take one of the new Growlithe pups, how'd you talk him into that?"

Ash smiled, "Well, I went to the lab early to see if I could start with something different..."

He then bent down and pet his new friend, "I wasn't expecting a growlithe, though. Your grandpa was generous enough to let me start with this little guy."

Gary's scowl turned into a smirk, "Well, if you want my opinion, I think you made the right choice. You guys look like your already comfortable around each other."

Ash nodded, "Yeah, Growlithe's a great pokemon. I can't wait to start training him."

The puppy pokemon would have blushed if he were capable. He really lucked out. He was going on a journey with a human that meshed with him perfectly. That was practically every pokemon's dream. But, he was also slightly lost by the conversation. Ash had yet to talk about Gary at all, so Growlithe was curious to learn about this human that Ash treated like a brother.

"Gary, shouldn't you get to the lab. What are you going to do if someone chooses the starter you want?" asked Ash.

Gary sighed, "Oh please, Ashy-boy. I called ahead of time and told Gramps which one I want."

Gary flashed Ash a cocky grin, "Do you really think I, the great Gary Oak, would let the pokemon I want slip through my fingers?"

The dark-haired boy laughed.

"You've always been dramatic," Ash continued, "I guess something's never change."

Gary flipped his hair before answering, "I try not to change what should always stay the same."

Ash changed the subject, "How do you feel about a battle in Viridian? I hear the gym leader only takes challenges if you have seven badges."

Gary attentively was listening.

"Since there is no gym battle, it would be nice to have some kind of challenge to kick start our journey," said Ash.

Ash's eyes met Gary's and radiated with intensity. Gary didn't back down and leered right back at his best friend.

Gary reached out a hand, "Challenge accepted! Ash Ketchum, we will always be best friends, but today marks the beginning of our rivalry as trainers."

Ash confidently smirked as he firmly grasped his friend's hand, "Couldn't have said it better myself."

Gary crouched down to Growlithe's level.

"And you, my friend, need to get strong. You're Ash Ketchum's starter after all," he chuckled, "that makes you Gary Oak's number one threat."

He patted him on the head, "Besides, Ash is going to put you in some tough situations. Trust me, I've been covering for his ass for almost ten years."

Ash rolled his eyes, "Don't listen to this joker, Growlithe. I'm the one thats _always_ been doing the covering. "

The boys glared at each other—only to burst out into laughter moments later. They exchanged a little more friendly small talk before deciding that it was finally time to go their separate ways. Ash and Gary wished each other good luck and then headed in separate directions.

Before Gary could get too far, Ash turned around quizzically, "Gary, I forgot to ask, what pokemon did you reserve?"

The brown haired boy stuck his tongue out and snickered, "Nice try, Ashy-boy! But, you're going to have to wait until our match."

The two boys turned back around and continued walking toward their destinations. Although their paths were momentarily different, the two young boys were both thinking along the same lines. They would give the world something to get excited about. One day, they would battle in front of everyone—and it would be legendary.

Growlithe was just as excited as the two boys. He had a feeling that Gary would be one of their biggest obstacles. Good thing he thirsted for such a challenge.

Before stepping past town limits, the young boy and his Growlithe stopped and looked back at Pallet one last time. It would be a long time before they returned home.

XXX

Ash and Growlithe were around halfway between Pallet and Viridian. The air was clean, and they were surrounded by nothing but nature. The trees that guarded the path were just starting to lose their leaves, signifying the end of summer and beginning of fall.

The walk to Viridian had been nothing but enjoyable. He and his pokemon simply relished each other's company while taking in the gorgeous scenery. Ash spotted a clearing a little bit off path that would be a perfect place to stop and train. He filled Growlithe in on his idea and escorted the puppy pokemon to the location. It was around midday, and Ash wanted to at least figure out how he was going to train his starter before lunchtime.

While preparing for his journey, Ash didn't really take into account that he could be starting off with a growlithe. Therefore, his knowledge on the species wasn't quite where it needed to be. Fortunately, in order to pass the qualification exam, you had to have at least some general knowledge on all of the pokemon from your home region. He wasn't exactly starting from scratch. Nevertheless, his internal information on the fire-type was rather limited. Good thing he had a pokedex.

The miniature supercomputer was about the size of a standard paperback chapter book. It had several button controls on its frontside, along with a six-by-six inch screen. The side of the device was a portable scanner and the model was red in color.

Ash didn't waste any time and pressed the power button. The LED screen lit up. _"Salutations—Pokemon Trainer...Ash Ketchum. I am model number 73419, also known as Dexter. I will be serving you in many ways over the course of your travels. My primary functions are to act as your trainer account manager, personal identification, and pokemon encyclopedia/database. I have several more features for you to uncover over time."_

Ash figured that the initial information was probably provided to all trainers that started their journey in Kanto. He wasn't sure, but he figured that other regions had their own pokedex models. Now that the pokedex was activated, Ash held it over Growlithe and pressed down the scan button.

Dexter lit up once again and analyzed. _"Growlithe – the puppy pokemon – growlithe have a brave and trustworthy nature. They often stand up to bigger and stronger foes and repel enemies with their bark or bite. Growlithe have an amazing sense of smell. It is fact that once a growlithe smells something's scent, it will never forget it. It is also rumored that growlithe can use their olfactory sense to determine the emotions of living beings. This growlithe is male. Current moveset: Bite, Ember, Leer, Roar and Odor Sleuth. Ability: Intimidate._

Thanks to the pokedex, Ash had a broad idea of where Growlithe was at in terms of battle capability. This gave him a general idea of how they would train. For now, given that it was just the two of them, all they could really do was build a physical foundation as well as work on refining Growlithe's current moveset.

Ash trained Growlithe for something like an hour before calling it quits due to hunger. During that time, they were able to begin kicking Growlithe into shape physically. He also got a chance to see Growlithe's Bite and Ember. He didn't really have the means to gauge the other three attacks.

Even though Growlithe was extremely talented with his Ember for such a young pokemon, he had a long way to go before his accuracy was up to par. In addition, although he had what Ash assumed to be, good technique with his Bite; Growlithe lacked physical jaw strength, which came with experience and hard work. One thing was most certainly made clear by their training session. Growlithe had a massive amount of latent potential. Unfortunately, it was impossible for him to age any faster. So, they were going to have to rely on hard work to overcome the natural bonuses that came with experience.

XXX

After finishing up with lunch, and allowing their bodies to digest their food, Ash had Growlithe practicing his Ember. Right now, all Ash had Growlithe focused on was distance. He wanted maximum control out of his partner. So, it was important that Growlithe understood how much power he needed behind his Ember to reach different targets at various distances.

Ash was careful not to have Growlithe aim towards anything that could possibly be flammable. One of the nicest things about this spot was that for the most part it was dirt and mud—which was the perfect terrain to practice with a fire-type without having to hold back.

For the most part, Growlithe was doing pretty good. There were definitely a few times where Ember got away from him, but the majority of his attempts were landing in the right spot. He wasn't using any type of target. At this stage, a target would most likely frustrate Growlithe due to accuracy issues. It was much more beneficial to just point to a general area and have Growlithe shoot.

About a half an hour into the training session, Growlithe was starting to get tired. His accuracy was dissipating because of fatigue, causing his Ember to dangerously veer all over the place. Ash was preparing to put an end to it, but that's when it happened. A lone spearow was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was out of sight, so Ash didn't see the attack land.

Unfortunately, it wasn't necessary. The bird pokemon flew up from the backside of the large rock it was resting behind and screeched at the top of its lungs. Ash had to cover his ears, and Growlithe wanted to bury his head in the mud to escape the viciously loud noise. At first, Ash thought that the shriek was beginning to echo, but then realization struck him.

"Growlithe, we've got to go now!"

Growlithe didn't need to be told twice. The two friends had gotten themselves stuck in quite the predicament. They weren't willing to look behind themselves because they couldn't afford to be slowed down. However, it didn't take a genius to figure out that there was a large flock of spearow chasing after them. Ash wasn't surprised; he knew that if there was one spearow without fail there would be more. Spearow were pack oriented flying-types. They compensated for their lack of strength by traveling in fairly decent-sized groups.

Ash and Growlithe weaved their way around various obstacles to get back on the main path. Ash hoped that once they reached it, the spearow would end their pursuit. They didn't. As a matter of fact, they were getting closer. The dark-haired trainer and his pup were now running for their lives in hopes of reaching Viridian before the spearow caught up to them.

Ash began to gasp and cough. He wasn't in the kind of shape to endure this kind of pace for too long; but, he didn't really have a choice. He estimated that there was roughly twenty-five spearow. Even if his growlithe was fresh, which he wasn't, they didn't stand a chance if they turned around and fought. In this situation, quantity would severely out match quality. Even though spearow were not necessarily strong battlers, they were inherently relentless. Scientists hypothesized that thousands of years of rivalry with the stronger pidgey evolutionary line had caused spearow to genetically turn jealous and bitter.

They had been running for quite sometime now and somehow ended up off trail once again. With every step they took, the spearow gained on them. Ash figured that Growlithe could probably get away if he wasn't holding them up. He debated letting Growlithe escape by distracting the flock himself, but discarded the idea. He'd only spent a little bit of time with his starter, but he had learned enough about him to know that he would never leave him to die.

So he just kept running. His body screamed that it was done, but his brain wouldn't let him slow down. They were going to make it; they had to. He was going to become a master, and Growlithe was going to grow into a strong arcanine. He tried to calm his breathing down enough to be able to think straight. It was difficult, especially while exhausting his body further; but by sheer will, he managed to see things a little clearer.

Ash looked around at his surroundings. To his left was Growlithe. It was obvious that the pokemon was in poor shape, but He probably had a few more miles left in him. Straight ahead was nothing but nature. He occasionally saw the shadow of a wild pokemon or two, but he couldn't make out what they were. He looked to his right. He was astonished to see an azure river. He must have been too delirious to notice it sooner. Luckily, he caught his second wind.

The boy thought hard, weighing over his limited options. That's when it hit him—an idea that just might save them. His hope lied in the river's current. It was strong. A current couldn't be that strong if it had nowhere to go. Ash heard a loud crashing sound in the distance. About at the same time, he noticed that the air was becoming much more crisp—almost like the after-effects of a heavy rainstorm.

He realized that the earth was getting greener as they got closer to the booming noise. Ash was almost completely positive that his assumption was correct. But, he couldn't bet everything, on this one ludicrous plan, until he saw it with his own to eyes. He turned his head to the left, in the direction of Growlithe, and desperately tried to force words out of his mouth. With heavy strain, he managed to say what he wanted.

"Do you trust me?"

The loyal canine managed a grunt of assurance.

Ash reached for his belt where his Growlithe's lone pokeball shook violently, obeying the laws of physics. He fumbled it in his hands a few times before gathering a safe grasp. He felt the presence of the spearow gaining on them rapidly. Ash heard what sounded like malignant laughter as they closed in on their prey.

The cliffside gave them no warning as Ash and Growlithe went plummeting towards the water. The sound of the massive waterfall behind them was unmistakably clear. The dark-haired boy gathered himself in midair. He couldn't waste anytime being crutched by fear. He quickly located Growlithe falling a few feet away from him. The impact was going to be hard, and there was no way to predict where they would land. He had to return Growlithe or risk getting split up.

He pressed his finger down on the return button. The first try failed. He took a deep breath as the second try failed too—missing slightly to the right. Right before they hit the water, he managed to get it right. The pokeball enveloped Growlithe in a ray of ruby red light.

The collision was anything but comfortable. Ash had to fight just to stay conscious. All the while, he had to desperately hold on to Growlithe's pokeball or risk losing it. He managed though, which was nothing short of a miracle. He battled his momentum, which was pulling him deep into the abyss of the natural pool. His adrenaline shielded him from the cold temperature of the unequable body of water. Once the aftermath of the collision subsided, Ash was able to conquer the conventional gravity levels of the pool and swim to the surface.

The boy had never felt so out of breath in his life. The miles of running, on top of nearly drowning, had his lungs feeling like they were being squelched by a machamp. Once he had caught his breath, he looked up.

...No spearow.

He then brought his attention to the rim of the waterfall. How had he survived such a fall? He muttered something resembling a prayer under his breath as he began to drag himself to shore. Once he reached land, he looked back in the direction that he'd come from to make sure he wasn't being followed by the menacing flying-types. He figured they must have assumed he was killed from the fall. His plan had worked; somehow, they had survived.

He just lied there, soaking in what had just happened. He had to wait a while before he could muster up the energy to move his body. Once he had gained back control of his limbs, he released Growlithe from suspended animation and gave him a big hug.

Growlithe was confused. One second he was falling...the next he was safe beside his soaking wet trainer. He remembered being enveloped by a beam of red light. Ash must have returned him at the last second.

But, how did he manage? They were falling at a high-speed. To be able to find him in the air and have the coordination to return him, all in a matter of seconds, was almost inhuman.

But then again, Growlithe had never really spent a lot of time around humans. So maybe it was? Growlithe's memory flashed back to the chase. The words Ash had said while they were running echoed in his head.

_Do you trust me?_

Did he know that they were going to fall? If so, his observation skills were uncanny. Even Growlithe, who had extraordinary hearing and gifted olfactory glands, wasn't aware that the waterfall was coming. How could Ash have known? He was running for his life. There was no time to rely on anything other than instincts.

Growlithe decided to stop being so analytical. They were alive; that's all that mattered. If he didn't trust Ash earlier, which he thought he did, he definitely did now.

His trainer had saved his life, and he had a feeling he would again. He just hoped that next time, he would be the one to protect his friend.

The two friends lied on the ground...looking up at the gorgeously clear sky. They simultaneously spotted a large and majestic rainbow shaded bird passing over them—about eight-thousand feet above. Ash didn't recognize what had to be a legendary. He reached for Dexter frantically. The waterlogged pokedex screen lit up, "_My database has no records of that pokemon. Some pokemon we have yet to discover or have too little information on to make public."_

Ash was astonished. He'd almost died...and seen a pokemon that was apparently so rare that Dexter didn't even know what it was.

Growlithe was having near identical thoughts—just as surprised.

They say a trainer's first day sets the tone for the rest of their journey. If that was the case, they had signed up for a thriller.

XXX

The sun was beginning to set when they finally arrived in Viridian. They were tired and desperately hungry. All of the food was in Ash's backpack, and it was destroyed when he fell into the water. Luckily, everything else was waterproof, and they didn't starve since they were close to the city. He made a mental note to invest in some Ziploc Tupperware.

After asking some stranger on the outskirts of town for directions, Ash and Growlithe found themselves standing out front of the city's pokemon center. Viridian wasn't really that much bigger than Pallet. He didn't quite understand what went into deciding if a settlement was a city or town anyway. He always thought it had to do with population, but he couldn't see how Viridian could possibly have that many more citizens.

One major difference that Ash picked up on was that there were many more paved roads. The architecture was also a lot more modern in comparison to Pallet's more rural feel. Ash pried open the door to the Pokemon Center, and held it for Growlithe before following closely behind.

He didn't pay much attention to the Center's décor. He was pretty sore, so it wasn't really worth the effort to look at anything other than the front desk. Not that he was all that interested in that sort of thing in the first place.

When he reached the front desk, he asked the pink haired nurse in charge if he could get a room. Pokemon centers not only acted as pokemon hospitals, but they were also hostels for visiting trainers. All you needed was a Trainer ID number, which most trainers had digitally programmed into their pokedex. Pokemon centers were another one of those things that you had to do research on in order to qualify to become a trainer. The League politicians didn't want to be responsible for some kid or pokemon dying because they weren't aware of their resources.

Ash gave the woman his pokedex and watched her place it into a slot plugin designed specifically for the device. She ran his identification through some kind of security database—probably to make sure he wasn't a fraud. Trainer identity theft was becoming more common after all.

Once she was done scanning Ash's pokedex, she handed it back to him along with a room key, "Mr. Ketchum, you're all set."

She then shifted her attention to the medial sized growlithe lying down at Ash's side, "Would you like to check in any of your pokemon while you're here? If you have a Trainer ID number, all medical work is completely paid for by the League."

Ash inspected Growlithe. He could definitely use medical attention. There were no serious injuries, but he was definitely worn down. Between training and escaping from the devastating flock of spearow, he had utterly exhausted himself.

"That would actually be great. He's pretty worn out," said Ash.

Nurse Joy flashed him a smile, "No problem," she reached over to the shelf behind her and placed a tray on the counter. " If you would please return your Growlithe and place his pokeball on the tray, I would be more than happy to take care of him."

Ash probably could have used a check up too, but ultimately decided against it. There were no issues that a good night's rest wouldn't fix.

Ash bent down and reassured Growlithe that everything would be completely fine. Growlithe trusted Ash with his life after the events from earlier, so he didn't need much convincing. Ash returned Growlithe and handed his pokeball over to the nurse. She promised that he was in good hands. Next, Nurse Joy asked Ash to either wait in the designated waiting room or his lodge—where he would get a call when Growlithe was ready to be picked up.

Ash thanked Nurse Joy and decided he'd wait in the waiting room. Just like everyone else in the world, he had heard of Nurse Joy beforehand. This was just the first time he had ever actually seen what she looked like. He didn't think the restoration process would take too long. He figured he might as well just sit down and get a feel for the Pokemon Center's lobby.

Now that Ash had nothing better to do, he stayed stationary and observed. The first thing he noticed was that the Center was rather empty. He figured that was probably due to the fact that the city's gym leader, Giovanni, only accepted challengers if they had seven badges. Since the season had just started today, it was physically impossible for anyone to have that many. He also factored in the fact that, unless you were coming from Pallet this time of year, travel was relatively slow. Since he was one of only three trainers that left for Viridian that day, and the rest were probably all still traveling, it made perfect sense. He thought for a moment about the possibility of Gary or the other trainer arriving before him, but Ash came to the conclusion that it was impossible. He had a good hour head start on them and that was if they were to leave the moment they got their pokemon. He also sprinted nearly a quarter of the way, only stopping for a couple of hours to train.

The next thing he noticed about the Center was that it was rather bare. There were very few decorations and the ones that were hung up gave the building a big time hospital feel. Technically it was a hospital, so Ash figured most people wouldn't be put off by it. To the right of the front desk were videophones, which reminded him to give his mother and Professor Oak a call before he went to bed. In the center of the lobby, there was a makeshift lounge with a television. Nobody was over there, so the television was off—probably to conserve energy.

There was a hall to the left of the front desk. It had a sign with an arrow pointed forward that read: _Rooms/Trading Center/Cafeteria_. Ash thought about heading to the cafeteria, but decided against it. He didn't want Growlithe to think that he was having a great time while they were a part.

Ash, all of a sudden, was hit with an internal wave of loneliness. Realization struck, this was the first time all day that he didn't have Growlithe on him. At first, Ash was slightly ashamed for feeling this way. He felt weak. But, after giving it a second thought, he came to a healthier conclusion: Growlithe was his friend, and friends covered for each others weaknesses.

He needed more friends like Growlithe—pokemon that he could count on and always have at arms reach. He wasn't so desperate as to catch anything, though. If anything, this intramural reflection would cause a more selective approach to catching pokemon. Strength was important, but he also wanted diversity. He needed to be able to adapt to any situation. If today was any indicator, he was in for an interesting expedition.

Ash's in-depth cerebration was put on pause when he heard Nurse Joy's voice over the annoyingly loud intercom.

"Ash Ketchum, please report to the front desk. Your pokemon are ready."

Ash listened to directions—all the while wondering why the use of an intercom was necessary in an empty pokemon center. After retrieving Growlithe's pokeball, Ash thanked Nurse Joy and headed straight to the cafeteria. He got a quick bite to eat. Nurse Joy had already fed Growlithe, so the pup wasn't hungry.

The tofu burger and fries were actually pretty good, which surprised Ash. Given that it was made in a cafeteria, his expectations weren't all that high. He wasn't quite sure if there were any rules to having your pokemon out of their pokeball while in the cafeteria. However, the cook didn't seem to mind—and other than him, nobody else was around—so Ash figured it was okay. He loved having Growlithe's company; it made him feel safe. It was worth the risk of one of the other nonexistent consumers complaining.

Before leaving, Ash examined his growlithe. He was completely refreshed. The quality of work Nurse Joy did in such a short amount of time was amazing. It wasn't sorcery; all pokemon centers had restoration machines. But, nevertheless, technology was something that Ash would never quite be able to grasp.

His conversation with his mom was short and simple. He basically just let her know that he had reached Viridian City safely. She tried to get more details out of him, but he played the tired card. He didn't feel like telling her about the spearow. It would just cause her to worry.

The conversation with Professor Oak was a little bit more extensive. For the most part, they talked about pokemon to look out for when he entered the Viridian Forest.

After talking to Professor Oak, Ash headed to his room. The lodge was actually much nicer than he expected. It was small, but cozy. It even had its own bathroom with a shower that Ash took full advantage of. There were four empty beds for multiple trainers...but since he was the only person, he had the whole room to himself. He offered Growlithe the opportunity to have his own bed, but the fire-type felt more comfortable sharing with Ash. The ten-year-old didn't complain; he was actually pretty fond of the idea himself.

He shut off the lights. By the time his body made contact with the mattress, his eyelids were beginning to get heavy. He fought off drifting into comatose long enough to mutter a heartfelt goodnight to his new friend. It had been a long day, and they deserved the rest.

XXX

With Growlithe following closely behind, Ash wiped the sleep from his eyes as he entered the lobby. Apparently, the timing was perfect because standing at the front desk, retrieving two pokeballs from Nurse Joy, was Gary oak—who had yet to notice him. Ash snuck up behind him, trying his best not to be spotted. Growlithe wasn't quite sure what was going on. He followed Ash's lead and moved quietly. Ash lightly tapped Gary on the shoulder. Just as he expected, his best friend's entire body jolted while he gasped exasperatingly.

He turned around to find Ash keeled over laughing alongside his partner in crime Growlithe.

"Dammit, Ash, you know I hate it when you do that!" shouted Gary.

Ash managed to stop his convulsive laughter before replying, "I'm sorry, Gary, but you make it way too easy."

His friend had never had the best sense of awareness thus making him one of the easiest people to get a rise out of.

Gary scratched his head—turning slightly red. He quickly changed the subject, which was something that Ash obviously picked up on, "So, Ash, when did you get to Viridian?"

Ash answered, "Last night...I don't remember _exactly_ what time, though."

He was never the best at small talk, but carried on the conversation, "What about you?"

"Eh, I actually just got here," said Gary with a fidget. "I had to take care of a few things before I left Pallet."

Ash thought Gary seemed slightly put-off by the fact that he was the second to arrive.

"So, how was your first night camping?" asked Ash, slightly curious.

Gary shrugged indifferently.

"A lot less comfortable than a bed—that's for sure," he then looked down at both of the pokeballs that were in his hands, "but...I guess that's not what being a pokemon trainer is about."

Ash just nodded. Unlike Gary, camping was one of the aspects of being a trainer that he was the most excited about. Ever since he could remember, he'd loved being outside. The prospect of sleeping under the stars, for weeks at a time, was actually rather appealing to him. One of the many reasons that Ash had ultimately decided to travel alone was the fact that Gary would rather spend the money to sleep in a five-star hotel every night than camp on the occasion. Ash gave him the benefit of the doubt because of how he was raised, howbeit it still irked him. Regardless; Gary was the dark-haired boy's best friend, and the fact that he was slightly spoiled wouldn't change that.

Gary's face lit up out of the blue, "Ash, we both have pokemon!"

Ash's face scrunched—not understanding where he was going with this, "Um, yeah, we do. What's your point?"

Gary clenched the pokeball in his dominant right-hand, "Ashy-boy, what's the one thing we've wanted to do together since we were like five?"

Ash finally caught on.

"Obviously, I'm in," said Ash. "Aren't I the one that suggested a battle in the first place?"

Gary ignored Ash's question and enthusiastically smiled, "On my way here I spotted a public battle facility. The main offices were closed, but I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem if we used their outdoor training ground."

Gary turned around and eyed Nurse Joy, "Do you have to be a member, or something, to use the outdoor battle facilities across the street?"

Nurse Joy replied kindly, "Nope, only if you want to use their private, indoor training center. The outdoor facilities are for the public."

She pointed at them in a motherly sort of way, "And if you two battle, don't forget to come back and heal your pokemon. Also, I'm sure your sponsor already told you, but you can register for this year's Gym Challenge here or at any other pokemon center in Kanto."

Ash and Gary both mentally kicked Professor Oak. This was the first time they had heard anything about registration. They both kind of figured that all they needed to do was show up at the gyms. Well, at least this explained how the League could calculate the statistics concerning how many trainers successfully completed the Circuit each year.

The two friends told Nurse Joy that they would register for the League when they got back. That way, they had something to do while they were waiting on their pokemon. Besides, they didn't want to risk wasting any time. It was possible that somebody else could get to the practice field before them, and they were eager to battle.

It took the boys practically no time at all to reach the training ground, due to the fact that it was literally across the street. Although the surface was mostly just dirt, the training grounds were a lot nicer than Ash expected. There were paint boundaries and trainer boxes, which made the battle seem much more official. It was the perfect place for their first battle.

Ash and Gary both picked a side and stood in their designated trainer box, "The battle's going to have to be one-on-one!" shouted Ash from across the mock arena.

Gary gave Ash a lame thumbs-up, "Sounds good to me!"

Gary thought about giving Ash a hard time for only having one pokemon, but decided it would be stupid. Gary's situation was kind of unique. He would only have one pokemon as well if he didn't have the best grandfather in the world. He also factored in how picky Ash was and figured that there probably wasn't any pokemon in between Pallet and Viridian that he would consider catchable.

Ash decided to make the first move. He figured he might as well, since he didn't have surprise on his side. Gary knew he only had Growlithe.

Ash gestured Growlithe forward, "Go ahead, buddy. Time to show him what you got."

Growlithe confidently walked out onto the battlefield—ready to win his first battle. He felt like he owed it to Ash. The boy had treated him so well since they left Pallet, making him desperate for victory. Although he hadn't gotten the chance to train in-depth with Ash yet, he still felt like he had enough experience sparring with his brother to come out on top.

Gary racked his brain in attempt to make a decision. He could use his starter and capitalize on the type advantage, or he could go the more unique route and mirror Ash. He decided to play it safe. He lofted his starter's pokeball in the direction of Ash. Once the bright flash of light succeeding the release vanished, a proud squirtle appeared.

Ash whipped out his pokedex and analyzed: _"Squirtle – the turtle pokemon – squirtle's shell is not merely used for protection. The shell's rounded shape and grooves on its surface help minimize resistance in water—enabling this pokemon to swim at high speed. Squirtle shoots water out of its shell when in the water and withdraws into its shell when in danger. It shelters itself in its shell, then strikes back with spouts of water at every opportunity."_

The young trainer formulated a plan of action. Elemental moves would be, for the most, part useless. He was going to have to rely mostly on Growlithe's superior speed and physical prowess. Ash sifted through his options. Of Growlithe's five available moves, there were only three that he could technically use. He was definitely going to have to be creative in order to pull out a win.

Gary's squirtle attacked first by firing a forceful Water Gun at Growlithe.

Ash didn't need to give Growlithe a command as he dodged the attack on his own. Growlithe then charged up an incandescent flame and projected it towards the turtle pokemon.

The turtle pokemon shot a second Water Gun that met the fire attack head-on. The result was an explosive, iridescent cloud of mist.

Ash and Gary both could tell that Growlithe and Squirtle were just feeling each other out. Neither pokemon was trying to inflict damage. They were simply trying to get a grasp over each other's reflexes.

Growlithe took the offensive. He transferred all of his centralized power into his hind legs before taking off in the form of an orange and black blur. Ash could tell that his speed had significantly increased, since they trained the day before—probably the result of the artificial restoration process. Pokemon, unlike humans, were constantly evolving. Most muscle-bound species significantly strengthened their muscular fibers every time they are forced to their limit.

Growlithe used his speed to confuse the tiny turtle pokemon. He understood that he didn't have the type advantage; therefore, he was entirely prepared to rely heavily on his speed and wits. Upon inspection, Growlithe started to pick up on Squirtle's severe lack of experience. He was Gary's starter after all. It was entirely plausible that this was the squirtle's very first taste of battle. Growlithe, on the other hand, had been battling since the day that he hatched. His mother knew that one day he would go on a journey of his own and wanted to ensure that he wasn't leaving wet and inexperienced. He still had a long way to go, especially in terms of accuracy and strength, but that didn't change the fact that some experience was always better than none.

Growlithe closed the distance between Squirtle and himself while preparing for a Bite. Just before Growlithe was able to sink his jaws into Squirtle's arm, he had to pull up.

Squirtle withdrew his body into his shell—not giving Growlithe any flesh to get a hold of. The young squirtle then proceeded to startle Growlithe. He emerged from his shell, almost as fast as he concealed himself, and fired two high-speed Water Guns at the fire-type in quick succession.

Growlithe didn't have enough of a warning to completely dodge the first shot. The attack managed to skim his left side—slightly trimming his fur. The second one wasn't a problem. The canine gathered himself and took off again at maximum speed. This time he was able to make contact and catch his maw onto the sky blue turtle's head.

Ash and Gary both winced. Although it was their first battle, there was no lack of intensity.

Ash saw an opportunity and decided to give the first trainer command of the battle, "Point-blank Ember, now!"

Growlithe heard his trainer's request and doused the turtle's head in flames. Squirtle tried to shake Growlithe off, but the grip the canine had on his head was too strong. Normally fire wasn't very effective against water-types, but at such a close distance almost any attack would do damage; unless the targeted pokemon was flat out immune.

Unfortunately for Squirtle, he wasn't immune—and the Ember was used in combination with the already painful Bite.

Gary watched as his squirtle grimaced in pain. He frantically tried to think of a way to separate the two opposing pokemon.

His conclusion wasn't very creative, but he didn't have any other ideas, "Squirtle, jump up and slam it on the ground!"

Squirtle listened to his trainer and used his short stubbly legs to spring himself and his opponent into the air. He came down forcefully to the ground, headfirst, all the while withdrawing as much of his head as he could to limit the forthcoming recoil.

Growlithe yelped in pain as his body collided with the hard dirt surface. He rolled a couple of times in the direction of his trainer before woefully pulling himself back up to his feet.

Ash and Gary both watched as both of their pokemon were visibly exhausted. Growlithe was in slightly better shape. The recoil from the botched Seismic Toss had done a lot more damage to Squirtle than Gary had anticipated.

The two pokemon proceeded to partake in a long-ranged shootout. Squirtle clearly had the upper hand in this kind of battle. Not only was his Water Gun more effective than Growlithe's Ember, but he was much more accurate.

As Ash watched the two attacks clash, one after the other, he racked his brain in attempt to come up with a way to end the battle. He had an idea, but was reluctant to try it. It seemed rather difficult to pull off.

He went for it anyway, "Growlithe, Ember at full-power, now!"

The fire-type dug deep into his internal flame and propelled the largest Ember he had ever summoned.

Squirtle's eyes lit up. He took the defensive by attempting to neutralize the oncoming flame with a heavy dose of Water Gun. The by-product was a massive, condensed explosion of sizzling steam.

The first phase of Ash's plan worked out perfectly. The second phase was either going to work or fail tremendously.

Ash waited until the light from the sun was being refracted, through the steam cloud, towards Squirtle, "Growlithe, direct your Leer at that cloud."

The puppy pokemon's eyes glowed with intimidation. The light from the sun counteracted with the lustrous pillar of steam—projecting a colossal mirage of Growlithe's pressure felt stare. The young squirtle froze in place, being trapped under a trance of fear.

Growlithe used the façade as a diversion and raced around the outside of the image. He followed up with another combination of Ember and Bite—this time sending Squirtle into the realm of unconsciousness.

After shaking off a look of astonishment, Gary returned Squirtle and accepted the loss.

Growlithe stumbled his way back to his trainer before lying down exhausted by his side. Ash bent down and gave Growlithe an affectionate scratch under the chin as he congratulated him on their first victory.

XXX

The rest of the morning consisted of registering for the Gym Circuit, healing their pokemon, and restocking on supplies. The majority of the money Ash had spent was on food. He made sure to purchase enough pokemon food to hold over at least two pokemon between Viridian and Pewter City. He also shopped for himself, using the earnings he received from Gary to purchase a set of Tupperware. Therefore, following through with his internal promise to avoid repeating yesterday's blunder.

Before going their separate ways, Ash and Gary got a bite to eat at the Pokemon Center's cafeteria. Ash could tell that Gary was still pretty upset over the loss. He would never openly say anything, but Ash knew his best friend.

Just like Ash, he didn't handle losing very well.

Ash's guess was confirmed when Gary told him that he was planning on sticking around Viridian for a few days to train at the battle facilities. Ash didn't see any reason to stay, so he told Gary that he was going to head to Pewter City.

Once they were done eating, Ash and Gary said their goodbyes. They promised to get stronger, so that next time their battle would be even more spectacular. With a parting handshake, the two best friends went in opposite directions.

Ash headed in the direction of the Viridian Forest: the gateway between Viridian and Pewter. Gary stayed behind with intention to pursue the strength to defeat his rival and best friend.

XXX

The sun had been vacant for quite a while on his second night away from home. Ash had Growlithe use Ember to start a fire, setting ablaze the wood that he had just finished collecting. Their campsite was rather basic...just a fire and a warm, thick sleeping bag.

The ten-year-old boy and his pokemon had spent the majority of the day traveling. They stopped a few times, accepting the challenges of a few other traveling trainers. Most of them carried nothing but bug-types, so Ash and Growlithe had no problem defeating every single one of them.

The two friends just lied there cozily. Both of their eyes were fixated on the beautiful, shimmering, bright lights masterfully painted amongst the evening sky.

Ash abruptly broke the long period of silence, "It really doesn't get much better than this."

Growlithe didn't react at all, but Ash could tell that he agreed. He didn't think the puppy pokemon knew how to respond.

It was then that Ash decided to allow himself to become vulnerable. Growlithe was his starter...and nothing was going to change that. They had been together for a couple days now, and he knew that he should let Growlithe know how he felt.

"Growlithe, I promise to always look out for you."

The puppy pokemon looked up at Ash curiously.

Ash blushed slightly.

"I'm not very good at being sentimental," he patted Growlithe on the head as he spoke. "When I made the decision to take you as my starter, I meant permanently. No matter where my journey takes me, I hope to _always _have you by my side."

Growlithe nodded his head in affirmation. Ash's words meant a lot. He wished he could express his own feelings with words. Unfortunately, all he could manage was to cuddle up closer to his trainer and friend.

Ash continued, "Also, I know I told you – when we were walking to my house from Professor Oak's lab – but I want to remind you that I need you to be a leader."

Growlithe listened.

"It's just, when we make more friends, there are going to be times where pokemon is going to need to be accountable to pokemon. I'm afraid I most likely won't be able to relate to every single pokemon I catch."

Ash sighed, looking up at the stars, "I wish I could, but that's not realistic."

Growlithe looked Ash in the eyes intently. He was actually quite honored that Ash had this much faith in him.

"Growlithe, the moment I met you, I knew you could handle this responsibility. Please let me know if my expectations ever become overbearing."

The growlithe looked up at his trainer with a hint of fire in his eyes. He could take this burden on himself. As a matter of fact, he wanted this burden. If he didn't have the presence of strength to lead now, he would make sure that he acquired it. Growlithe naturally was a born leader. His mother was one of the most influential pokemon within Professor Oak's corral.

He would make her proud. Even more importantly, he would make Ash proud.

Before they put out the fire, Ash continued to talk to Growlithe as his eyelids began to get heavier. Ash could barely keep himself awake as the only thing providing light was the plethora of stars in the sky. It was time to sign off for the night. The two best friends drifted off into oblivion. The last thing on Ash's mind was just how much he loved the soothing aroma of the forest and having his pup by his side.

XXX

It was about the middle of the day, and they were in the epicenter of the forest. Ash and Growlithe were determined to find the second member of their team. Viridian Forest was home to an array of bug-types. Unfortunately, the only bug-type in all of Kanto that interested Ash was scyther—which do not happen to be indigenous to their current location.

Thankfully, there still happened to be a pokemon native to the forest that Ash wanted to get his hands on. Ash wanted one of the three pokemon belonging to the pidgey evolutionary line. Of the various different flying-types that were home to Kanto, they were his favorite.

Ever since he was a little boy, he had a strong admiration for the magnificent, fully-evolved pidgeot. The way the oversized flying-type effortlessly soared through the skies of Kanto, at tremendous speeds, had always amazed him. Their majestic plumage and glossy off-white and brown feathers were a sight to behold.

He also appreciated their thirst for battle and overall skill in combat. Ultimately, that was what interested Ash the most: their ability to balance power with speed while in the air. Outside of the rare dragonite and the three, nearly mythical, elemental birds of legend; they were uncontested in the skies of Kanto.

But finding one wasn't going to be easy. He knew discovering a fully-evolved pidgeot in the wild would be extremely difficult. Wild pokemon of that ability usually couldn't be found unless they wanted to be or if the seeker had done his homework. Besides, even if he somehow came across one, chances are it would be out of their league.

So what he was looking for was a pidgey or pidgeotto—preferably the latter. He didn't have any tracking skills; so for the most part, he was working blind. He hoped that Growlithe's superb sense of smell could help him out. But, without a reference scent, it would be difficult for him to rely on his starter.

After about an hour of Ash basically walking in circles like a novice, Growlithe had picked up on his first lead. Underneath the shade of a rather large oak tree, the puppy pokemon had found a talon like print indented into the ground's earthy surface.

At first, Ash was very confused. It was seldom that an avian claw print was found on the ground. Bird pokemon, like pidgey and Pidgeotto, usually warranted a good reason to land on anything near the earth's natural floor. Then Ash recognized something. The print was faded and lone—which meant that it didn't stay long enough to leave a solid print and that both talons didn't touch the ground. This caused Ash to believe that it merely grazed the surface...probably during a hunt.

With Ash's approval, Growlithe picked up the scent.

Growlithe followed the new smell off-trail and deep into the forest with his trainer trailing closely behind. The light from the sun began to fade as the abundance of trees blocked its pathway. The only source of light was a small leftover refraction, resulting in a luminous, orange glow.

During the search, Ash could feel the leering eyes of the many bug-types hidden within the depths of the forest's plant life. They simply stayed still—not allowing the details of their forms to be seen by the human. Ash never felt threatened. He figured it was most likely because he was in possession of a fire-type. But, he could be wrong, maybe they had other reasons.

The dark-haired boy could tell that they were getting closer by Growlithe's expression. The pup was much more focused and confident in all of his movements. They say a growlithe's olfactory glands could pick up on emotions. If there was any truth in that, he figured Growlithe could manage to track a bird.

Ash cursed under his breath as the search continued to prolong itself. They had been at it for a couple of hours, and the boy was now racking his brain trying to think of how they were going to get back. He assumed Growlithe could lead them with his nose, but he wasn't currently in a position where he wanted to interrupt Growlithe to ask. The pup had now been attentively trailing the scent for what seemed like a long time.

Growlithe felt the avian aroma keep getting stronger. The closer he got to its suitor...the more the scent revealed about itself. At first it was small; there was no way to separate its properties. But now the smell was much more potent and recognizable. Growlithe had been around plenty of pidgey before at Professor Oak's corral. He was positive that this fragrance belonged to a member of its species.

And then it became still. The prey's pheromone no longer dragged on. It was stuck.

...He froze in place.

Ash came to a stop mirroring his starter. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the chase was over. Ash observed his surroundings carefully, looking for any hint of moving life. At eye level, in all directions, he saw nothing. So, he looked up.

Perched up above, in a rather ominous looking tree, was a pidgeotto. The avian's plumes flowed gracefully with the wind as it inspected Ash. It was a humongous specimen, already about the size of a pidgeot. Ash could see its potential just by looking at it. He met the flying-type's piercing, black eyes with his own in attempt to delineate that their meeting wasn't by chance.

The pidgeotto knew why the human was here and glared back. It showed no signs of backing down. It did not plan to get captured by a human child, but would not disgrace itself by fleeing. Those that yearned to become valiant pidgeot were honorable. They did not shy away from a challenge.

Growlithe stepped forward after evaluating the situation. He didn't need Ash to tell him that he was needed.

The mammoth pidgeotto spread its wings and glided down to the earth's surface, landing a few feet shy of Growlithe. For the first time, as it dwarfed Growlithe, Ash was able to fully comprehend just how big the behemoth was.

Pidgeotto started things off by forcefully thrusting its wings down toward Growlithe—thus creating a pressure felt gust of wind. The orange and black canine barrel rolled out of the way, barely being able to avoid folding under the compression of Pidgeotto's flying-type attack.

Growlithe proceeded to try and incapacitate the pidgeotto with a menacing Leer, but it was no use. In order for Leer to work, there needed to be some sense of inferiority amongst the victim. It was obvious to Ash that the bird had no such feeling.

After the failed Leer attempt, Growlithe charged. He ferociously snapped his jaws as he tried to connect with the flying-type's raptorlike body.

Pidgeotto flapped its wingspan, precipitously propelling itself into the sky, thus leaving Growlithe biting at air. The avian formulated a Whirlwind and hurled it at Growlithe. The attack entangled the fire-type and tossed him in the direction of a neighboring tree.

Ash gritted his teeth, but sighed in relief, when he saw Growlithe gather himself in midair and plant his feet on the side of the tree. He followed the magnificent acrobatic display by using the tree for leverage before proceeding to spring his body back in the direction of the fight.

The raptorlike avian seemingly vanished from his spot, using a Quick Attack to meet Growlithe in the air. It used both of its talons to catch the surprised puppy pokemon, and this time gave itself no room for error by catapulting Growlithe towards the hard ground.

Growlithe yelped as he hit the ground hard. Ash winced at seeing his friend tossed like a rag doll. He managed to endure the collision, though, and got back up determined.

The fire-type answered by actuating a barrage of flames. Pidgeotto did its best to dodge, but couldn't manage to best the multitude of ephemeral fireballs. The flying-type took two hits to its right wing, at a high velocity, temporarily crippling it.

Ash saw his chance and pointed at a tree, "Grapple that tree and jump on its back!"

Growlithe didn't hesitate and took off—leaving an after-image. He used his momentum to run about halfway up the tree before forcibly pushing off.

Pidgeotto tried to dodge, but couldn't quite clear the entirety of his body. Growlithe lunged forward and managed to latch on to Pidgeotto's muscular, brown wing with his teeth, "Ember, now!" shouted Ash.

Growlithe fired an Ember at the same spot he had connected earlier. Except this time, it was from a point-blank vantage point. Pidgeotto shrieked as it fell the short distance to the ground. Growlithe let go of Pidgeotto's wing and safely landed on all four legs.

The normal/flying-type, although favoring its injured right wing, still had some fight left in it. From the ground, it used its left wing to throw powerful gusts of wind in the direction of Growlithe in hope of buying time.

Unfortunately, for the pidgeotto, its damaged wing grounded it—thus keeping the bird from accessing the sky.

"Ember to distract it, and get in close!" bellowed Ash.

Growlithe, once again, flung multiple Embers in the direction of Pidgeotto. He used each one, at some point, for cover as the oversized bird perilously worked on diverting the attacks with Gust.

Once Growlithe was in range, he fearlessly leaped in front of Pidgeotto's face and unleashed the biggest Ember he could muster.

It made perfect contact. All the while, Ash was frantically grabbing an empty pokeball from his backpack. He muttered something under his breath...frustrated that he didn't have one in a more convenient place.

By the time Pidgeotto hit the ground, Ash's pokeball was in the air at a high velocity. The homing system activated, and the capture device steered itself smoothly into Pidgeotto's chest. The barely conscious, wild pokemon could do nothing as its entire being was blanketed in a radiant, red light and vacuumed into the half red and half white sphere.

Ash watched as the ball shook: once…twice…three times…

And It clicked—signifying a successful capture. With a toothy grin on his face, Ash picked up his first catch ever.

He then doubled over and gave his exhausted starter a tight hug,"Great job, Growlithe! You were incredible!"

Growlithe responded to Ash's smile with a sloppy, wet lick to the face. In the canine's opinion receiving praise like this from Ash was something that would never seize to remain priceless.

XXX

Surprisingly, Pidgeotto wasn't all that difficult to get through to. After using a potion he had picked up in Viridian, and taking part in a complicated game of charades, the flying-type and Ash made a deal. Pidgeotto would swear his allegiance to Ash. In return, Ash would train Pidgeotto into the most powerful pidgeot on the planet.

Growlithe and Pidgeotto seemed to get along pretty well. After their battle, they both shared a mutual amount of respect for one another. Pidgeotto saw Growlithe as the one who had defeated him and submitted under that truth. Growlithe simply saw Pidgeotto as his new teammate and friend.

It had taken a few hours to find their way back to the main path. With Growlithe using his nose and Pidgeotto scouting overhead, it was rather easy to find. Sadly, it was still a long walk. Ash thought about saving time by flying on his abnormally sized pidgeotto's back, but didn't think he was quite ready to trust his new pokemon with his life.

By the time they finally got back to where they were before they went searching for Pidgeotto, it was getting dark. All that was left of the sun was a sliver; it buried itself behind the mountain peaks in the far distance.

Ash setup camp for the second time in the forest. The setup was the same as the night before. This time, he sent Pidgeotto to look for firewood. Once he returned, Growlithe did his job and started a fire with his ember. After the dark-haired boy finished his dinner, he reached into his pocket and dug out his pokedex. While Pidgeotto was eating, his rather large bowl of pokemon food, Ash scanned him.

_"Pidgeotto – the bird Pokemon – pidgeotto claims a large area as its own territory. This pokemon flies around, patrolling its living space. If its territory is violated, it shows no mercy in thoroughly punishing the foe with its sharp claws. This pidgeotto is male. Current move set: Tackle, Sand attack, Gust, Quick attack, and Whirlwind. Ability: Big Pecks."_

Ash made a mental note to research the ability Big Pecks when he got the chance. He recognized the name, but definitely didn't know any details about it.

Abilities are an inherent skill a pokemon is born with. You cannot do anything to change them and very seldom did a pokemon have more than one. Ash had heard rumors about elite level pokemon sometimes unlocking a second ability after years of experience and harsh training. During Ash's study to qualify as a trainer, he remembered reading somewhere that researchers hypothesized that abilities had a lot to do with a wild pokemon's status in their respective clan.

It made a lot of sense to Ash. People were often assessed, on what they can and can't do, based on talent. Pokemon were not much different in that regard. The more rare and powerful their ability was...the more respect they had amongst their kin.

Ash brought his attention back to the entry. He found the bit about a pidgeotto's perception of territory interesting. The dark-haired boy looked up from the device, "Pidgeotto, I want to talk to you."

The bird pokemon hesitated before peering up at Ash. Its eyes looked distant. Ash reckoned Pidgeotto wasn't used to pausing dinner for a conversation.

Growlithe looked up slightly interested. Ash wasn't a blabbermouth. He chose his words carefully and usually only spoke when needed to. Therefore, Growlithe had learned to always chime in when his trainer was verbal.

"This bit about territory, is this how you feel?" asked Ash.

Pidgeotto nodded. He had always felt the need to protect what was his; it was instinctual for a bird of prey.

Ash looked Pidgeotto in his eyes, "I want you to treat anywhere we are as our territory."

The boy had Pidgeotto's attention.

"I would like you to immobilize anything that approaches our camp without our invitation. We need to have some sort of protection on the road. Don't hurt anyone. Just make sure that they don't hurt us," said Ash.

Pidgeotto was slightly astounded. His new trainer spoke with the same safeguarding compassion that a mother pidgeot had, but also had the internal fire of a paternal provider and warrior. Pidgeotto puffed up his chest with pride accepting the requested duty.

Ash laughed and gently rubbed his large pidgeotto's plumage, "Great! I'm glad you like the idea."

He then looked at both Growlithe and Pidgeotto together, "I really don't want to tear away your instinctual desires. Let me know if there are any other duties I can give you that are similar to what you'd do in the wild."

Pidgeotto had a tough time comprehending just how thoughtful his new trainer was. Before being captured, he hated the idea of pledging fealty to a human. Now, he wasn't so sure. It would probably take time...but he could get used to this.

XXX

"Call it off! Call it off! Please, just call it off!"

Ash jolted up out of his sleeping bag at the sound of an unfamiliar outcry. His vision was hazy. It took the dark-haired boy a brief moment to discern what was going on. Pidgeotto had his beak clamped tight on a fully loaded suit of armor. The raptorlike avian dangled the mysterious boy in the air while being careful not to injure him, albeit firm enough to inflict fear.

Ash inspected the wailing boy. He looked to be about eleven-years-old and was slightly overweight. He wore a samurai styled suit of armor. The chestplate was still intact, and his toes were somehow still hanging onto his wooden clogs. Separated from his body, lying on the ground, was an ancient looking tin helmet. It had golden, decorative horns that Ash thought could be a product of the Meiji era.

A few feet away from the helmet lay a blade. The light of the sun reflected off of its exterior, creating a bright, white glare. Its hilt matched the golden color of the horns on the helmet. Ash walked over to the blade and calmly secured the dangerous object. He looked around the ground for a fallen scabbard, but instead found one hanging from the wielder's waste.

Ash wrapped his hands around his mouth, creating a flesh made megaphone, "Toss me the sheath, and Pidgeotto will let you go!"

The boy didn't argue. He untied the rope binding the sheath to his belt and listened to it ricochet off of the ground seconds later.

Ash picked up the black, metal scabbard and concealed the sword.

"Pidgeotto, please release him!"

The bird pokemon set the intruder down roughly; Ash didn't complain. The ten-year-old boy then dug the tip of the enshrouded blade into the ground and leaned up against it casually.

He took a deep breath before speaking with a firm tone, "Why on earth would you enter my campsite with a weapon?"

The boy weakly stood up. He brushed the grass and dirt off of his tattered armor before answering, "I was testing your merit. I wanted to see if you would be a worthy opponent."

The samurai boy's face was bright red. Ash couldn't tell if it was because he was embarrassed...or if it was the after-effect of being held upside down by a giant bird for so long.

Ash looked at the young samurai quizzically, "Do you wish for me to be your opponent in a pokemon match...or a sword fight? Because I am struggling to see how the two relate."

The misunderstood boy shook his head in grief and picked up his helmet, "All forms of battle can be rooted back to the blade," he then flashed a hint of passion. "How can you lead your pokemon into battle if you are not willing to take up arms yourself!?"

Ash thought it over. It was a flawed point of view, but he could see where the boy was coming from. Too many weak willed individuals hid behind the strength of their pokemon. The dark-haired boy raised his hand to his chin as he evaluated the stranger. Even if he was a bit foolish, he was no serious threat.

Ash sighed and lifted the sword from the ground, "I'll tell you what. I will give you a battle if you promise to ditch the sword when challenging traveling trainers."

The samurai kid slightly hesitated before replying, "That sounds like a fair trade. What are the conditions of our duel?"

Ash scratched his head in thought, "How about two one-on-one battles?"

"Sounds good to me," shrugged the samurai, "when shall we begin?"

Ash mulled the question over before answering, "Just give my pokemon and I a chance to eat and pack up camp. Then we should be good to go."

It didn't take Ash long to feed his pokemon and himself. While they were eating, Ash explained to Pidgeotto and Growlithe that he somehow could tell that the samurai kid wasn't a real threat.

Growlithe was indifferent. Ash wondered if he had picked up on the boy's real intentions by smelling the emotions in his scent. Ash was really starting to believe that there was some truth to that rumor.

Pidgeotto basically felt the same way as Growlithe. The dark-haired trainer was pretty sure that the flying-type was just having fun from the beginning.

Ash tried to offer the boy something to eat, but he insisted that he wasn't hungry. Ash didn't buy it. The way the boy's belly growled, while they were eating, didn't give Ash any reason to believe he was full. But, who was he to put a dent in the boy's _samurai_ pride? Despite the fact that he wasn't quite sure where in the samurai handbook it said that it was shameful to accept a meal from an opponent.

On the contrary, maybe he was looking at it all wrong. It's possible that it only becomes shameful once you sneak into an opponents campsite with an unsheathed sword before challenging them to a pokemon battle.

After Ash and his two pokemon cleaned up the campsite, they were ready to take on the samurai. The samurai boy led them to a vast clearing about a half-mile off the main path. From their point of access, Ash could see a small log cabin to the right. His guess was that it belonged to the boy. The rest of the clearing was dirt and open space. It was the perfect place for a battle.

Both boys calculated a reasonable amount of space for their pokemon to work with—and faced each other. They set no official boundaries. Before they started, Ash realized that he hadn't actually asked the boy what his name was.

"What's your name!?" Ash hollered.

"Just call me Samurai!" The samurai boy exclaimed.

Samurai then reached for a pokeball before shouting, "What about you!?"

The trainer from Pallet Town bellowed, "Ash Ketchum!"

Samurai initiated the battle by casting a pokeball. Erupting from the red and white sphere was a menacing pinser. The big, ugly stag beetle filed its large, white, thorny, protruding pincers together as it hissed its battle cry.

Ash reached for his pokedex and scanned the big, brown bug.

"_Pinser – the stag beetle pokemon – it grips its prey with its pincers until it is torn in half. What it can't tear it tosses far_."

Ash gulped and made a mental note to stay away from its pincers. Both of Ash's pokemon had type advantage. He figured his flying-type was the best option. Pidgeotto had more long-ranged attacks—which would make avoiding Pinser's alarmingly dangerous forceps a lot easier.

He called Pidgeotto to the battlefront. The massive, off-white colored avian glided down from its temporary roost atop one of the nearby trees. He peered down at the bug-type with a nasty glare.

The two foes didn't waste a speck of time. Pinser rumbled in the direction of the bird. He prepared his pincers with the intention to crush Pidgeotto's being.

Pidgeotto jetted in the direction of the bug, rapidly closing the distance. At the last second, he elevated in order to narrowly dodge the threatening insect's biological sheers.

The stag beetle squatted—loading its legs with power. It vaulted its body into the air in pursuit of Pidgeotto.

The raptorlike avian thrashed its wings downward in an attempt to use Gust to force its enemy to the ground.

Pinser squeezed its forceps together creating a drill like protrusion. It used this like a dagger, and stabbed the attack, piercing the wind with its sharp point.

Pidgeotto wasn't going to let a pokemon, classified under the inferior bug-type, break through his wind barrier. This time, using the entire force of his incredible wingspan, he powerfully beat his wings once again

It was too much for Pinser to resist. The bug-type crashed into the ground, at a high velocity, leaving a small crater in its wake.

Pinser tried to get up, but was met by an overruling Whirlwind; It violently forced his back into the ground. As Pinser lay belly up, Ash saw an opportunity to finish the first of two battles.

He commanded the colossal pidgeotto, "Use Quick Attack while it's on the ground!"

Samurai tried to beckon his warrior to dodge, but time was too short. Pinser took a grand, accelerated Quick Attack straight to the gut rendering him unconscious.

Samurai frowned and returned his precious bug-type to its pokeball.

Ash smiled and told Pidgeotto that he did a good job in his first battle before returning him. In his opinion, the large flying-type deserved a good rest in suspended animation.

The second of the two battles was what Ash would call a farce. The battle, if you could even call it that, ended just as soon as it had begun when Samurai summoned a metapod. The medial sized, motionless, forest green chrysalis tried its best to endure Growlithe's ember. Unfortunately, multiple attempts to make its exterior shell impenetrable only prolonged the inevitable conclusion.

Ash internally questioned Samurai's choice. Then he remembered the ridiculous scene he had awoken to earlier that morning. The decision to try and match a growlithe by sending out a bug-type incapable of movement kind of explained Samurai in a nutshell.

However, regardless of his intellect, Ash didn't dislike the kid. He didn't know why. Maybe it was because he had so much passion behind what he believed in. Or, possibly, it was because he was simply amusing.

Samurai looked at Ash with a slight look of disappointment.

The dark-haired boy held out his hand in preparation for a shake, "Thanks for the battle; it was a lot of fun!"

Samurai grasped Ash's hand honorably.

"No, thank-you," he tried to force a smile, "you've definitely shown me that I have a lot of work to do before I can consider myself a competent battler."

Ash shrugged, "Maybe it would have been different if both of my pokemon didn't have a type advantage?"

"I guess," sighed Samurai.

Ash could tell that the boy was pretty humiliated. Not only had he been given a fair battle after disgracefully sneaking into Ash's campsite while he was sleeping, but to top it off, he was also defeated pretty handily. Ash decided that it was probably a good idea not to fill him in on the fact that he had only been traveling for four days. As a matter of fact, he decided it would be better to leave the boy with something to work towards.

"Samurai, it's highly likely that in the next couple of days a few more trainers from my hometown of Pallet will be trekking through these woods," said Ash.

Samurai listened attentively.

"If you train hard and wait on the main path, you may be able to redeem yourself," Ash smirked. "One of them is my rival, so don't expect it to be easy."

The boy's face lit up vigorously at the chance to take back his honor, "I will do as you say. Except this time, I will challenge them in a more modern way."

Ash laughed. Now that Samurai's spirit had been rejuvenated, Ash felt comfortable enough to leave the fascinating boy alone to train for Gary and the _other_. He knew that the boy would have a tough time competing with Gary. Maybe he'd have a shot against the _other_ kid. Ash just hoped he wasn't setting up Samurai to lose three straight battles. He didn't want to be responsible for completely destroying the boy's morale.

Samurai, Ash, and Growlithe accompanied each other during the trip back to the trail. Once they made it back, they said their farewells.

Samurai headed in the direction of Viridian City looking for a good spot on the trail to wait patiently for his chance at redemption.

Ash and Growlithe continued their expedition to Pewter City. The two friends hoped that, by the end of the day, they would reach the city that was home to Brock: the Pewter City Gym Leader.

XXX

From the peak of a hilltop, occupying the northern edge of the forest, Ash suddenly gasped. He could see Pewter City in the distance. Even from his vantage point, about a half-mile away, he could make out some of the large stone buildings Pewter was famous for. After Ash split off from Samurai, it had only taken him a few hours to get to his current location. He even stopped once to battle a traveling trainer's butterfree with Pidgeotto. The battle was a bit tougher than the one he had against Samurai, but that was probably because butterfree are capable of aerial combat.

Nevertheless, Ash was victorious.

The boy and his growlithe took in the breathtaking view, making sure to take mental pictures. Once they had their fill, they set off to enjoy the concluding moments of their journey to Pewter.

After peacefully hiking the trip's final stretch, the boy and his growlithe finally reached Pewter's outskirts. The city's outer edge was rather rural with the terrain being made up of mostly dirt and various sized stones. There were very few buildings, and most of them looked to be at least fifty-years-old and abandoned.

Ash even noticed a water well that looked like it hadn't been used in ages—along with a decrepit, old watermill that sat near the edge of a narrow, nearby riverbed. It looked to flow from somewhere deep in the forest. He didn't remember seeing anything like this when he was looking out from atop the hill. This part of the city had to have been drowned out by the tall city buildings.

Ash picked up on the fact that this portion of town was awfully empty. He had yet to see another person. It almost gave off the vibe of an eerie, old ghost town. As he passed through the district, he was cautious. He wasn't usually one to get paranoid, but the severe lack of people was ill-boding.

Unexpectedly, Growlithe stiffened up and began to snarl. Ash's head swiveled. He was looking for anything that could possibly cause such a reaction out of Growlithe.

"Would you be interested in some genuine Pewter City keepsakes?" asked a deep, scratchy voice from somewhere close to Ash.

Growlithe strangely relaxed as the scent revealed itself to be a shady looking man. His age was hard to estimate because of the burly, dark brown beard that settled upon his face. He was wearing old, battered outdoor wear and a thick, burgundy, wool snowcap. The hat was an interesting choice due to the time of year. Early fall in the Kanto region was anything but cold. It hardly provoked the need for the man's choice of clothing.

Ash replied; he didn't want to be rude, "Um, what are you selling?"

"Could you follow me please? My collection isn't far," he mumbled in a low tone.

Growlithe was no longer on edge. Therefore, Ash figured the man was to some extent credible. The boy's mother had always taught him not to judge a book by its cover. He didn't find it easy, but having Growlithe around dulled the risk considerably.

Ash followed the mysterious man, literally around the corner, to reach where he had setup shop. The ten-year-old boy was astonished and not in a good way. The man was selling rocks. Not gems. Not diamonds. Not even silver or copper. All that he had were plain, old, boring, gray rocks.

Ash was beginning to believe that the man was at least slightly deranged. Especially, once he saw each individual price tag associated with the different rocks. The man was asking a small fortune for every single one. Not to mention that he was trying to sell the rocks in a part of the city that was desolate. Ash guesstimated that the wooden shelf he was using, to display some of the smaller-sized rocks, was worth more than the merchandise itself.

"Is there anything that peaks your interest, young man?" asked the bearded man.

Ash said the first thing that came to mind, "Um, sir, you do know those are plain, old rocks, right?"

The man wagged his finger, "But you see...that's where your wrong, kid. These are plain, old rocks from Pewter City: the city of stone. They're genuine souvenirs."

Ash scratched his head.

"Um...whatever you say, sir," he then proceeded to lie. "I would buy one, but I can't afford it."

The man mulled it over, "Well, how much are you willing to spend? I may be willing to drop the price."

Ash internally laughed. If someone were to tell him – at the beginning of the day – that haggling for an ordinary, everyday rock was on his agenda; he would tell them that they were crazy.

But, Ash was nice...and he hated it.

"Um, how about fifty pokedollars for the small one?" asked Ash in disbelief that he was even considering this.

The man entered serious thought, "Seventy-five and you got a deal."

Ash retorted hesitantly, "Sixty and not a penny more."

The man smirked, "Sixty-five."

Ash frowned and handed him what little cash he had withdrawn from the trainer ATM back at the pokemart in Viridian City, "Fine, you win."

The man smiled and handed Ash a rock about the size of his palm, "It's your lucky day, son. You get to leave here with this beauty. And at a bargain price, too, might I add."

Ash had come to a conclusion. This man was, in fact, crazy.

The boy was pretty sure that he had just made the most idiotic purchase in the history of the world. The only way to justify it, in his mind, was to tell himself that he was generous when it came to the needy.

The man reached out a hand, "Pleasure doing business with you, son."

Ash hesitantly mirrored him, "Thanks for the rock."

The man pulled his hat up slightly so that he could make eye contact with Ash, "You know what? I like you, kid. What's your name?"

Ash half-heartedly smiled, "My names Ash. What about you, sir?"

"The name's Flint," He turned his attention to Growlithe for the first time, who a moment prior was starting to feel slightly ignored.

"What about this little fella? Does he have a name?" asked Flint.

Ash smiled at his buddy, "Nothing fancy; his name is Growlithe."

Growlithe wagged his tail. Attention was always exciting for the pup.

"Ash, I would love to show you the way to the Pokemon Center," said Flint. "Your Growlithe looks kind of worn out."

Ash was a little bit confused. He wasn't quite sure how he had gone from haggling over a rock to being asked if he wanted a tour. But, he reckoned he might as well accept. He felt a little more comfortable with the prospect of spending the sixty-five pokedollars on a guide to the Pokemon Center.

"Sure...that would be nice," he replied.

Flint gave Ash an awkward smile before heading towards the heart of the city. Ash followed—the whole time wondering...how in the hell was he convinced to buy a rock for sixty-five pokedollars?

XXX

The long walk to the Pokemon Center was rather pleasant. Flint didn't talk too much, which allowed Ash and Growlithe to soak in the altering scenery.

As they immersed themselves deeper into the city, it gradually changed from rural to contemporary. Most of the buildings grew in size. It was intriguing to see how the more current establishments contrasted with the early stone architecture that had stood since Pewter's birth.

The busy streets, carefully organized by painted roads and streetlights, rapidly became more congested. Pewter was a lot different than Viridian. It gave off much more of a big city vibe.

Every once in a while, Flint spoke up. He would share all kinds of little facts about certain parts of the city that they passed by as well as provide a timeline for when specific things were built. Ash was impressed. The man knew a lot for someone that sold rocks for a living.

Listening to Flint's few comments made Ash curious. Where did this man come from? What made him the way he was? Why did he choose to spend his time so far away from everything else? They were all questions that Ash found inquisitive, but he was too afraid to ask. He didn't know Flint well enough to be able to hypothesize what his reaction would be like.

Ash, Growlithe, and Flint finally arrived outside of the Pokemon Center. In terms of design, this pokemon center was very similar to the one in Viridian City. It was dome shaped with the roof resembling a pokeball. The large glass doors were constantly pivoting in response to non-stop activity. Unlike Viridian's pokemon center, Pewter's was annoyingly busy. However, the most evident difference was the drastic contrast in size. Pewter City's pokemon center was much bigger. Ash guessed that Pewter probably had a significantly larger budget than Viridian.

Upon entrance, the first thing that Ash picked up on was that the lobby was a mirror image of the one in Viridian. There were a few slight differences in décor. Other than that, it was all the same. This brought Ash to believe that the reason this pokemon center was so big was due to expanded lodging space, since the lobby was about the same size.

This time around, Ash was able to get a better feel for everything. The manifold of people gave him a much better visual example of how to use several of the different features that the Center provided.

There was a long line to see the Nurse Joy in charge of the Pokemon Center. Just like the lobby, she was identical to her family member in Viridian. The global anomaly involving the Joy and Jenny families was a hot topic within the scientific community.

Both families had some kind of genetic disorder. It entailed that every single female offspring was born identical. There were a few other families like this scattered across the different regions. Several conspiracy theories had popped up over the years. Most of them suggested some kind of secret cloning operation funded by the League.

Ash had to admit, it was rather strange. How could there be that many people that looked interchangeable? Not to mention the fact that they all had League administered jobs. Ash decided to shift his attention back to his surroundings. No matter how much time he spent trying to solve the mystery of Nurse Joy, he wasn't ever going to get anywhere.

Flint stuck with him the entire time. Ash figured he probably didn't have anything better to do. It's not like he had to get back to the rural suburb in fear of someone stealing his rocks.

Ash had returned Growlithe a while ago. It only took about five minutes of standing in line surrounded by people for Ash to tell that Growlithe was painfully overwhelmed.

During the wait, Ash had eavesdropped on several conversations. He uncovered that there were three reasons why the Pokemon Center was so packed.

Reason number one was obvious: there were several trainers that were registering for this year's Pokemon League.

The second of the three was that they had finally announced the month that this year's League Tournament would be taking place in. The tournament would be sometime in May. The League always took place between April and June. For the longest time, Ash didn't understand why they changed the date every year. The answer was revealed to him while he was studying for the qualification exam. He found it rather interesting. Apparently, it all had to do with weather. The League had its strongest certified psychics look a year into the future. The goal was to find out when the Indigo Plateau had a two-week span of decent weather.

The final reason for the congestion, inside the Pokemon Center, had to do with the fact that trainers were getting decimated by Pewter City's gym leader: Brock Slate. Ash was confident in his own abilities, but he couldn't help but gulp after witnessing all of Brock's victims.

It took the dark-haired boy nearly twenty minutes to finally reach the front desk. He handed Nurse Joy both of his pokeballs for restoration and got a room.

Flint decided that it was time for him to head back to his shop. Before leaving, he questioned Ash, "What's your other pokemon, kid?"

"I have a Pidgetto," replied Ash, "why?"

The bearded man shook his head, looking a little bit disappointed.

"Brock's a rock-type gym leader," he then raised a question. "How do you plan on giving him a good battle by using two pokemon with type disadvantages?"

Flint left Ash with that last difficult question reverberating in his ears. Ash knew what Flint was doing. The man was trying to force Ash to seriously consider his next course of action.

...It was working.

Ash hadn't actually told Flint anything about his plan to challenge the Gym Circuit. But, before labeling the man as some kind of mind reader, Ash came to the conclusion that it was probably pretty darn obvious.

Ash scratched his head. In all honesty, this was something that he had been thinking over for quite a while. Unfortunately, he still hadn't settled on a concrete plan of action.

One option was to catch a pokemon with a type advantage. If he chose to go that route—his options were water, grass, fighting, ground, and steel-type pokemon. The problem with this strategy, though, was that he would have to settle for a pokemon he really didn't care to train. This part of the region was pretty dry when it came to pokemon Ash desired.

Ash had struggled over this issue for an excruciatingly long time. He loved pokemon. Almost every single species bewildered him to some degree, but he wanted to be a great pokemon trainer. Even though he believed that all pokemon could be trained to a high-level, he recognized that certain pokemon had much more natural potential.

He was after pokemon that had an uncanny amount of unlockable, latent ability. Ash was looking for creatures naturally blessed with the ability to become the best in the world...

His second option was to train. He could find a good place, on the outskirts of town, over by where he had met Flint. It would slow down his journey, but he was fully aware that he was going to have to stop and train, for decently long periods of time, every once in a while anyway. The drawback, though, was that it would take weeks to accumulate the amount of strength that Growlithe and Pidgeotto would need in order to overcome the type disadvantage. That was time that Ash couldn't afford to forfeit so early on in his journey.

The final option was the least convenient, but possibly the only rational way to go. He could skip the Pewter Gym entirely, at least for now, and return later. By the time he returned to Pewter City, he would without a doubt have the right team to take on Brock.

He hated to admit it, but right now he really didn't have the proper players. It would take some kind of otherworldly miracle for him to defeat Brock's powerful rock-types with a young fire-type and a flying-type.

No matter how exceptional Growlithe and Pidgeotto had performed up to this point, he refused to set them up for failure.

As long as you are willing to put forth the effort to look, the League publicizes what pokemon each gym leader uses to a certain extent. A gym leader is required to register a team specifically for trainers with less than three badges. Only one of the two pokemon can be evolved, and the identity of these pokemon must be public knowledge. This is how Ash knew that Brock's challenge, for beginners, was one of the toughest in the entire Gym Circuit.

The first of his pokemon was a geodude, which was actually pretty reasonable. The small spherical rock-type usually didn't give trainers too much trouble. It was the second of Brock's two Pokemon that sent unprepared trainers to the Pokemon Center crying.

The gym leader was in possession of an Onix—one of the largest pokemon in all of Kanto. Onix were massive serpentine pokemon. Their bodies completely consisting of large, bulky stone. This was not the type of opponent Growlithe and Pidgeotto could will into submission. They needed a strategy.

Unfortunately...there wasn't one.

In time, Ash had no doubt that his two friends would be able to overcome various type disadvantages. But right now, they weren't ready. He wished he could will them to victory. He would do anything to be able to walk into the Pewter Gym and know that he had a chance to earn the Boulder Badge, but that wasn't realistic. He hated to admit it, but he had to be patient. The boy decided, then and there, that his only legitimate option was to come back later.

He would have to get his first badge in Cerulean City. The Cerulean Gym specialized in water-type pokemon. Growlithe would be at a complete disadvantage, so Ash couldn't rely on him. Luckily, there was a pokemon rumored to be located in Mt. Moon that he wanted. It would be extremely difficult to find given that it was one of the rarest pokemon in all of Kanto. Regardless, Ash was willing to seek it out. After all, Growlithe happened to have a legendary sense of smell.

The boy snapped back to reality at the sound of Nurse Joy voicing his name over the Center's intercom. He collected his two pokeballs, ate a late lunch in the cafeteria, then made his way to his designated room.

It was late afternoon, and Ash was in much need a power nap. He had the spare time. The only things left on his agenda for the day was a trip to the Pokemart and an evening training session.

Tomorrow morning he would head for Mt. Moon: the mountainous bridge between Pewter and Cerulean.

XXX

To be continued.

XXX

A/N: Well everybody, that's the first chapter of Essence. I hope that you enjoyed it. I will try to update monthly, I work full-time though and am getting married soon so it'll be hard. Either way, expect a chapter out once a month. They are long, so hopefully they hold you over. Also, please review. It lets a writer know that you like their story. It's a good way to motivate. Until next time.


	2. Kanto 2

Kanto 2: Essence

The day and a half of travel, from Pewter City to Mt. Moon, was excessively eventful. The route was flooded with several trainers itching for a battle.

Ash took the opportunity to let Growlithe and Pidgeotto get some needed experience. The dark haired boy figured he might as well, after spending a good portion of his earnings on potions. His back ached, because his bag was holding so many of the pocket-sized miracle concoctions. Ash didn't want to risk the chance of being stuck in a cave, with one of his pokemon rendered unconscious.

Unfortunately, buying so many potions came at a high price. Before he set off from Pewter City, his trainer money-management account was rather sorry. Having to restock on several essentials, like food and potions, was a much bigger hit to his account than he would have liked. He threw the receipt away the moment he left the shop, that way there would be no going back. It did however, give him one more reason to accept every challenge along the way. The boy desperately needed to earn some money.

He managed to accomplish both of his goals...

Growlithe and Pidgeotto were able to touch up on a lot of their current move set during the short trip.

Growlithe's internal flame was beginning to grow. His ember was much stronger than what it was when they first met. Also, the puppy pokemon's jaw was starting to strengthen from all of the trainer battles. His bite was becoming much more formidable. Ash looked forward to the day that Growlithe would be able to use an authentic fire fang attack. Nothing against his makeshift bite/ember combination, but fire fang would be an even greater asset.

Pidgeotto demolished nearly every pokemon that he was summoned to battle against.

The giant had a single rough outing against a trainer that used a tank of a Graveler. But Pidgeotto still gave it a pretty good fight for having a tremendous type disadvantage. Ash was slightly bummed that his undefeated record had been blemished, but that wasn't what it was about anyway. His two pokemon had acquired some priceless experience, which in the long run would be worth a lot more than a silly record and some cash. Besides, he had won enough battles to make up for all of the money he had spent in Pewter City the other day. And the pressure of being unbeaten was finally off of his shoulders.

During the trip, Ash also managed to squeeze in a training session. With the help of his pokedex as a resource, Ash started to work on teaching Pidgeotto and Growlithe a couple of new techniques.

Growlithe, managed to learn helping hand in one night. The pokedex said that it was usually a pretty tricky skill to iron out. It relied on a powerful desire to help either trainer, or teammate. In Growlithe's case his innate devotion to those he cared about quickened the process. It was easy for him to transfigure his respect for Pidgeotto, and loyalty to Ash, into energy that raised the strength of Pidgeotto's attack power.

Ash thought that helping hand would be a perfect move for a place like Mt. Moon. Although Pidgeotto wouldn't be able to use its wings to freely fly within Mt. Moon's passages, he could use his impressively large wingspan, to blow away any pokemon living within the caverns. Ash ruminated that a gust or whirlwind, powered up by Growlithe's helping hand, should be able to chase off any aggressive pokemon living within the mountain. Not to mention, it would benefit nicely if Ash ever decided to take part in a double battle.

The attack he worked on with Pidgeotto was a lot more strenuous. Ash wanted Pidgeotto to learn the move twister. Twister was difficult, especially for pokemon that didn't classify as dragon-types. Twister was an enhanced and damaging version of whirlwind, that could channel draconic energy.

Sadly, Pidgeotto didn't naturally produce draconic energy like the rare dragon-type. This made the attack twister much more difficult to learn. What Pidgeotto had to do, was rely on his ability to sift through the properties of the air around him. He had to figure out how to absorb the congenital layer of draconic energy, that the earth's atmosphere naturally emits. By the end of the training session, Pidgeotto was able to extract a minuscule amount of dragon-like energy from his surroundings. He had a long way to go, but Ash believed that Pidgeotto would get the hang of it eventually.

Mt. Moon was colossal. Upon arrival out front of the giant pillar of earth, Ash returned Pidgeotto. He would call on his friend when necessary, but didn't find it beneficent to make the flying-type walk the whole way through the caves.

It was late afternoon. Ash pondered setting up camp that way they could get a fresh start in the morning, but decided against it. It wouldn't matter what time it was once he entered the mountain, regardless it would be dark, and he wasn't tired.

Besides, the pokemon he was searching for was nocturnal by nature. There wasn't a ton of information on the scarce pokemon, but researchers believed that they were most active at night. Ash took his heavy duty flash light out of his backpack. It was one of the several essential items that he had packed, before leaving from his home of Pallet.

He bent down and patted Growlithe on the head before moving forward. With his partner by his side, the boy entered the mountain fearlessly.

XXX

Ash's flash light did a fairly decent job of lighting up his surroundings. He had only been inside of the mountain for about a half-hour, and was surprised by how vacant the caves were. The only signs of life, were another traveling trainer the boy shortly passed by, and a curious yellow mouse pokemon with a cream colored belly. The pokemon Ash recognized as a sandshrew, had only briefly poked its head up from its burrow, before going back underground. Ash tried to record the sighting of the sandshrew in his pokedex, but the little ground-type was long gone by the time Ash had unsheathed the tiny device.

Ash definitely could appreciate the setting. This was the first time that he had ever been inside of a mountain before. It was an invigorating experience. The quietness of the caves was peaceful. Ash found it kind of nice traveling in silence, with the only sound being Growlithe and his footsteps. The earthy smell of the mountain was stimulating. The subtle drafty breeze being conveyed throughout the tunnels felt nice and refreshing. Ash had to admit, besides the lack of light, he could see why so many pokemon made the mountain their home. But then again, a lot of the pokemon that were indigenous to Mt. Moon were sensitive to light. So although the darkness didn't quite agree with Ash, it was probably the main attraction for the pokemon that lived there.

Another uneventful half-hour went by, before Ash came up with a theory that explained the lack of activity. He felt like an idiot for not figuring it out earlier. The Pokemon that lived within Mt. Moon knew the habitat unlike any human ever could. Ash was traveling through a plotted out path. The route through the mountain was carefully marked with signs directing a safe and accurate way to Cerulean City. It made perfect sense that the mountain's wild pokemon would steer clear of the human's main course of travel, unless they were interested in finding a trainer to get stronger. Otherwise, there was a seemingly endless amount of off-path tunnels for wild pokemon to occupy.

Realization struck Ash. If he wanted to leave the mountain with the mysterious and rare pokemon clefairy, he would need to explore the unknown. Ash had no problem going off trail. None of the pokemon listed on his pokedex as being native to the mountain, were typically dangerous. And if at some point he felt like he was in danger, he had pokemon repellent. The stuff cost him a good bit of money back in Viridian City. He thought he would need some back when he was traveling through the Viridian Forest. Fortunately, he never had to so much as crack the seal of the canister. Having Growlithe around while trekking through the forest did a good enough job of scaring off the bug-types.

The problem with going off path was that he could very easily get lost. In fact he was pretty much guaranteed to get lost. It wasn't like going off trail on the surface; there were no landmarks. If he didn't have a sure fire way of finding his way back, he wouldn't even consider exploring the depths of the mountain. Fortunately, his Growlithe had an otherworldly sense of smell.

His plan was to leave something on the main path that was distinct. Once Growlithe smelt something, the scent would be forever embedded into his memory. It was one of the exclusive abilities that only the species growlithe, and its evolved counterpart arcanine, possessed. It took Ash a while to think up the perfect thing to leave behind. But, once he thought of it, he was positive that it was the perfect choice. The boy detached Pidgeotto's pokeball and released him.

"Pidgeotto, do you have any loose feathers?" asked the boy.

The raptor like avian looked at Ash mockingly.

Ash rolled his eyes. "Don't give me that look I have a perfectly good reason."

Over the last few days, Ash had started to get a much better feel for his flying-types personality. And what he'd learned was that the behemoth had a twisted sense of humor. The avian pretty much coasted through life waiting for his next battle, while trying to lighten things up in a semi-sadistic sort of way, which was a surprise to Ash. After their first encounter in the forest, Ash was really expecting to have to work on getting Pidgeotto to open up. That obviously wasn't the case.

Pidgeotto trilled something along the lines of laughter, before quavering off of its body a surplus of molted feathers. Ash proceeded to pick up some of the feathers and spread them out strategically. That way he wouldn't have to worry about some traveler, or pokemon, picking one of them up out of curiosity. He even buried a few underground, just in case something picked up the feathers on the surface. Growlithe's supreme nose would most likely still be able to pick up the scent underground.

Ash had Pidgeotto use a light gust to spread out the rest of the feathers, before he returned the flying type. He then communicated to Growlithe that they should be all set to explore.

Unexpectedly, before they moved on, he had another idea...

"Growlithe is it possible for you to pick up a clefairy's scent?" asked Ash.

Growlithe looked a bit lost.

Ash scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, I guess you probably don't know what a clefairy is."

Ash reworded his question. "Can you try and track down the most unfamiliar scent in the mountain?"

Growlithe nodded and paused. The pup drew a large breath through his nose, while accessing the full extent of his aromatic awareness. He evaluated the scents.

The first course of action was to filter out the familiar. _Ash, Pidgeotto, sandshrew, human, something like a zubat, human, geodude, zubat, unfamiliar bug-type, something close to a sandshrew, two kinds of nidoran, and others reminiscent of both_.

After discarding the known, he sorted through the unknown. There were seven distinct scents. Three were stationary and stiff, Growlithe figured them to be non-living. Two of the three were remains, _they were once alive_. They had an ancient scent, and had been dead for a long time. Growlithe neglected them, labeling them as obsolete. The other non-living scent was almost intoxiscating, it was large and powerful. Ancient, but different; it was extremely alien, unlike anything he had smelt before. He abandoned it for now because it wasn't alive. But even if he wasn't a Growlithe he could never forget the provocative scent that it gave off.

He moved on.

Four were active. Three of the four fragrances were a multitude; there was several of the same scent. They were slightly alien and similar to each other, as well as semi related to the large rousing non-living scent. But they were living, and much less pleasurable.

The last scent was dark and it was alone. It reeked of disaster. Growlithe wanted nothing to do with it. He deserted the scent and tried to forget, there was no way that Ash was intentionally looking for such a creature.

Growlithe brought his attention back to the three living redolent scents. They were together; he figured they were various forms of one evolutionary line. Growlithe locked on, they had to be what Ash was looking for. He eyed his trainer and beckoned him to follow.

Ash followed Growlithe. He could tell his companion had found something. The puppy pokemon at first took him further along the main path. He skipped a few diverting paths before picking one. The pathway was dark. Ash pointed his heavy duty flash light into the abyss, illuminating as much as possible. As he took his first couple of steps out into the new passageway, he paused, at the sound of Growlithe's bark.

The puppy pokemon without command fired an ember out into the darkness. In its wake a bevy of shrieking blue and purple bat-like pokemon, flooded out of the dark, and whizzed past Ash out onto the main trail. The trainer covered his face in protection, but felt nothing. His heart beat frantically from the sudden scare. By the time he uncovered his face to look, the zubat were out of sight. Ash could hear there boisterous shrieks, somewhere down the main trail, west towards Pewter. He calmed down and continued down the new path, following his buddy Growlithe.

A few sandshrew and geodude showed themselves every once in a while, but backed off when they realized that Ash wasn't a threat. After about an hour of following Growlithe deep into the mountain, they stumbled upon something pink, peeking out from behind a medial-sized rock. He recognized it immediately. It wasn't exactly what he wanted due to its inability to learn its natural move set post evolution, but it was close enough to get him excited. He slowly pulled out his pokedex, being careful not to scare off the extremely rare pokemon.

Dexter intelligently identified the four foot, pink, vaguely star shaped pokemon. "_Clefable- the fairy pokemon- Clefable moves by skipping lightly, as if it were flying using its wings. Its bouncy steps let it even walk on water. Its hearing is so acute that it can hear a pin drop a mile away. It is rarely ever seen, and typically runs away the moment it senses a human."_

Ash was amazed. There were very few documented sightings of wild clefairy and clefable; as well as only a tiny fraction of trainers that had actually managed to capture one. The pokemon was a species that Ash found essential to the team that he was trying to build. They were the only pure fairy-type pokemon that could be found in all of Kanto.

Ash had wanted one ever since he started studying for the qualification exam. They were powerful pokemon, and their reservoir of potential was seemingly limitless. Their outer appearance might not suggest it, but they were fantastic battlers. The few trainers that had a clefairy of their own were usually extremely skilled. Their typing was also one of the biggest wild cards available to a trainer. This is what fueled Ash's desire to catch one. Fairy-type pokemon were immune to dragon type attacks, making them the perfect counter to some of the most powerful pokemon in the world.

They were essentially born dragon killers.

But fortunately for dragon-types, a pure fairy-type was excruciatingly hard to find. That's what made this sighting so extraordinary to Ash. So many trainers had searched for the clefairy that were rumored to live deep within the depths of Mt. Moon. Almost all of them had been unsuccessful. Not only was the pokemon scarce, but like Dexter said, they have incredible hearing. If they didn't want to be spotted, they wouldn't be. But one thing that was consistent in every situation he had researched, where a clefairy or clefable was caught; was that the pokemon had chosen the trainer, the trainer did not choose the pokemon.

Ash knew beforehand, that he didn't have a chance of actually tracking down a clefairy on his own. But maybe, if he showed up and put forth some kind of effort, a clefairy would track down him. Ash loved pokemon, and he knew that he had the heart to take care of a rare pokemon such as clefairy. He just hoped that like what had happened to the few trainers before him, he would be hand picked by the species to train one of their kin.

Ash approached the clefable slowly, not wanting to frighten the fairy oval eyed creature confidently stepped out from behind the rock and analyzed the human. This surprised Ash; most people assumed that the species was timid in the wild. He wasn't anticipating this sort of behavior.

The clefable pointed at Growlithe and then towards his pokeball.

"You want me to return Growlithe?" asked Ash skeptically.

The clefable shook his head affirmatively, clearly understanding Ash's words.

Growlithe snarled disapprovingly. He did not like the idea of leaving his trainer alone with such an alien like being.

The clefable's eyes turned blank in response to Growlithe's defiance. The gravity around them instantly got heavy, trying to force Ash and Growlithe to the ground.

Ash struggled to turn his attention to Growlithe. "Growlithe cut it out now!"

The puppy Pokemon seized its grumbling, folding under his trainers stern request. The heavy pressure subsided, and the clefable's oval eyes returned to their natural form. The fairy pokemon pointed once again at Growlithe's pokeball, requesting the canine's concealment.

This time Ash bent down to comfort Growlithe, before they got themselves into a recurring situation. "Do you trust me?"

Growlithe's mind instantly went back to his first day with Ash. The memory of the first time his trainer had asked him that question recoiled in his mind. Growlithe submitted, understanding the predicament. Ash knew what he was doing; if he didn't he wouldn't risk returning his canine pal.

The dark haired boy smiled at his starter, before recalling him. He turned his attention back to the patient clefable. "Why did you show yourself to me?"

The clefable's eyes went back into catalepsy alarming Ash. Next thing he knew he was clutching his head, as a flood of intrusive images entered his mind unannounced.

_Large mystic stone, evolution, parting, pokeball, father, mother, battle, glory_; various forms of these images buffeted against the boy's psyche, before abruptly coming to a halt. While in a daze, Ash shook the unpleasant feeling off. "I don't understand. Show me what it all means?"

The clefable held out its three fingered hand, waiting on Ash to grab hold. The boy picked up on the gesture and met the clefable's hand with his own. The world turned black for a split-second, and then he was elsewhere. His stomach felt nauseous. The clefable had teleported him. His surroundings were different, but he couldn't quite make them out yet do to dizziness. When the world stopped spinning he came face to face with a tired, ancient looking clefable, different from the one he had met moments earlier. It sat in a noble looking portable stone throne, decorated with all kinds of gorgeous gems.

The Pokemon looked Ash in the eyes, judging his very existence. Encompassing Ash was a multitude of fairy pokemon. There was several of each evolutionary stage, scattered around the dark haired boy, observing his every move.

The clefairy were significantly smaller than their evolved form. Their ears were stubbier than clefable's, and their wings were tiny in comparison.

The cleffa were even tinier, which was expectant of a baby pokemon. Ash had to admit they were cute; most of them clung to their evolved forms.

Behind the aged clefable was a massive glowing pink and blue stone, the same one the clefable from earlier had shown him in the vision. Above Ash was the open sky. It was dark, and the stars were shimmering marvelously. Ash wondered how a place like this could remain hidden from human eyes. His answer was provided, when he saw the goliath black piece of carrying slate wedged up underneath the stone.

They had moved it. Ash assumed that the cleffa evolutionary line must conceal the giant mystical stone deep within the mountain for extended periods of time. And on special occasions they move it, most of the time probably to this open location. Ash wondered what the special occasion was. The young boy brought his gaze back onto the ancient looking clefable. By its risen position Ash assumed that it was probably the leader.

Its eye's, glowed a vibrant purple. Ash's mind was invaded. He could feel a harsh scrape flipping through his memories like a used magazine. It didn't damage his mind, it just simply observed, everything. When the clefable was finished, Ash took a deep gasping breath. Sweat had formulated all over his body. The uncomfortable mental experience had caused an obvious physical reaction. Its eyes turned a translucent blue, as Ash heard a male emotionless voice reverberate within his mind.

"_Welcome, human Ash, my kin and I have awaited your arrival for quite sometime," _said the Clefable. _"You have been selected to take part in our sacred evolution ceremony."_

Ash, squinted his eyes. The telepathic link he now shared with the clefable was painful to the point that he couldn't even react to the fact that a pokemon was talking to him. "Thank you for being so kind by letting me take part in it. But what does it all mean?"

"_Those of my kind evolve once every ten years, thus obeying the will of our mighty moonstone," _it replied_. "But, maturation for our species comes at the price of an unimpaired __sacrifice," said the clefable._

Ash was starting to match what this ancient clefable was saying, with the subliminal images from earlier. It was starting to make some sense.

"Why me?" asked the boy.

The clefable's long pointy ears twitched as it answered. "_We always choose a youngling. You have yet to settle into your identity. Right now you are pure, with an interest in my kin. You have good intentions, and seek potential. You are not soft, but at the same time you are the farthest thing from cruel. You are the perfect candidate." _

Ash was flattered; he had never thought of himself in those ways before. He felt like he had a good heart, and he desired good things, but he never would have considered himself pure. Nevertheless, he wasn't going to argue with the wise old sage.

"What happens next?" asked Ash. "When does the ceremony start?"

The clefable's eyes flickered as it continued the telepathy.

"_Just _sit_ down and watch human, we shall begin shortly," _said the Clefable, as it signaled for Ash to sit down by its side.

Ash asked if he could release Pidgeotto and Growlithe so that they could watch the ceremony, but the ancient clefable refused. The elder explained that the ceremony was for its kin and the chosen human's eyes only, thus reinforcing the rule that its envoy had put in place earlier.

Ash just waited. The elder paid him no further attention; it seemed preoccupied by the upcoming events. The dark haired boy sat in wonder, curious of so many things. Abruptly, the myriad of fairy pokemon stopped what they were doing and circled around the large sovereign stone. The ceremony was beginning. Ash watched intentionally waiting for something to happen.

All of a sudden, the clefairy and clefable's many eyes simultaneously began to glow a luminous pink, as they each individually raised their arms up above their head. Like clock-work, they swayed their arms back and forth, while chanting their name. Ash was not quite sure what they were doing, as they pulsated. After a few minutes they stopped. Ash turned to find now that the elder clefable's eyes were glowing pink. The sages eyes locked on to the prodigious rock. The momentous crag responded, oscillating between the vibrant colors _blue, pink, and purple_. Ash felt himself getting caught in a hypnotic trance, an after effect of the moon stones activity.

The moon stone proceeded to convulse, seemingly shaking the entire mountain. Ash broke from the trance and latched on to the leg of the ancient clefable's throne. Ash's pokeball's shook sensing that he was in danger. The boy grasped them, doing whatever he could to let them know that he was alright.

An explosion occurred. A fragment of the moonstone had separated itself from its primordial base. The newly separated fragment condensed itself, blanketed by an array of different colors. It erupted into several more small fragments, that shot up into the night sky. They then sprinkled down like a meteor shower, landing upon the heads of several of the clefairy. Ash couldn't tell if it was a selection, or if it was completely random. He watched, as the clefairy that were touched by the fragments were set ablaze by a powerful glistening white light. Through the incandescent bright lights, Ash could slightly make out the changes in shape.

It was evolution.

Ash let go of his hold on the throne and just watched. It was his first time ever witnessing a live evolution before. He whispered a thankful prayer to an unknown higher power. He could not have asked for a better situation in which to experience evolution for the first time. When the bright white lights finally faded, numerous new clefable appeared. The new fully-evolved fairy pokemon all cravingly examined their new body's, clearly pleased by their enhance forms.

Ash turned to find the elder standing from his throne for the first time. The clefable began to speak to its kin in its native tongue, while doing Ash the service of translating telepathically at the same time. "_All hail the mighty moonstone!" _

The numerous fairy pokemon echoed it passionately back in the native tongue. Ash did not understand it; only the elder's thoughts were translated to him. But he figured they were repeating what the elder said.

"_In obedience to the stone, we shall advance into the ceremonies second stage!" _continued the elder clefable.

All of the clefairy that did not evolve stepped forward; there were about fifteen of them. They organized themselves into a single file line, positioning each other shoulder to shoulder facing the elder. The elder responded by holding out its arm. It used some kind of telekinetic power and drew a lose fragment from the original moonstone. The fragment pulsated between blue, pink and purple as the sage held it in its hand.

"_The selection process will begin. One of you shall be selected to become the chosen human's companion. This is an honor stowed upon you by the moon stone itself. Accept your fate," _said the elder.

Ash got butterflies. He couldn't believe what was happening. It was surreal. Although, it had been what he wanted. He expected nothing when he decided to search out the clefairy of Mt. Moon. But he was chosen to train one of their species. He didn't know if there was a greater feeling than this. Being picked by a mysteriously scarce species was the greatest honor he had ever received.

The ancient clefable walked down the line of clefairy, with the pulsating stone in hand. "_The stone shall choose which of you is to represent our species."_

As he made his way through about a quarter of the candidates, there had yet to be a reaction. Ash was nervous; one of these clefairy would be chosen to leave with him. In a few seconds he would have a new friend.

Somewhere around the middle of the line, the stone exchanged its indecisive colors with a firm consistent electrifying green. The selection had been made. The clefable held the stone above the chosen clefairy. The chosen clefairy stepped forward and made eye contact with Ash. Ash could see the determination in its eyes. It wasn't afraid. Ash could see that it had accepted that this fate could be a reality a long time ago. Either that or it had desired it all along.

The elder clefable nodded its head in approval. "_The moon stone has made its decision. You shall accompany the human until death," _it then brought its attention to Ash_. "This member of our kind is now your responsibility to help flourish human. I'm sure that someone the moonstone elected will have no problem bearing this responsibility."_

Ash stood up and stoically nodded.

"No problem whatsoever," Ash shifted his attention to the chosen clefairy. "What about you? Are happy with this?"

The clefairy smiled, touched by the human child's act of consideration. It nodded, affirming Ash's belief that he was doing the right thing. The clefairy walked over to its new trainer and stood by his side. It then turned around in the direction that Ash was facing to acknowledge the elder. Clefairy stood in anticipation for the closing acts of the ceremony.

The clefable walked over to Ash, and handed him the palm-sized fragment of moonstone that was used for the selection. "_And with this final gift the ceremony is over. I trust that you will know when the right time to use it is. Just keep in mind that my kind comes into its own during our clefairy stage. Evolution enhances our power greatly, but without knowledge the p_I_ower is wasted."_

Ash thanked the clefable, and put the evolutionary stone in his backpack. Depending on where his new friend was already at in development, he didn't plan on using the stone for a long time. Regardless of how long it would take. Ash was thrilled over the stone. He now contained all of the tools to sculpt clefairy into an extraordinary fairy-type.

With the elder clefable and his new clefairy's permission, Ash handled one of the empty pokeballs he had just detached from his belt. The clefairy looked up at its elder for assurance. The clefable muttered something in its native tongue, while signaling to the clefairy that it was safe.

Before the young clefairy could do anything, it was met by two clefable that had walked out from the rest of the crowd. They fulfilled two more of the prophetic images that the clefable envoy had shown him earlier. The two clefable enacted the images consisting of a mother and a father. There was a heart felt goodbye, understanding that this might be the last time they ever saw each other. Tears were shed. But neither side seemed upset by the circumstances. Both the clefairy and its parents seemed to know that this was for the best. It wasn't only what their sovereign moonstone desired. But it was what clefairy desired. Clefairy wanted to get stronger. It yearned to see the world. And going with this human boy would actuate both of those goals into reality.

After one final goodbye the two clefable beckoned their child forward. The clefairy eyed the pokeball, while Ash pointed towards the button in the center of the contraption Ash decided that since the species had selected him to be there chosen human. He would feel more comfortable with the young clefairy capturing itself, and forfeiting over its allegiance under its own terms.

Clefairy lightly tapped the pokeball's capture button. The clefairy was cloaked in an ambient red light, before being sucked into the confines of the pokeball. Unlike Pidgeotto's capture, the pokeball didn't shake once, which meant that Clefairy did not struggle and instantly submitted into suspended animation. Ash smiled and stared at the pokeball. Realization occurred that he had caught his third teammate and had made a new friend. Clefairy would be an important piece to Ash's puzzle.

Ash could not wait to unlock its anti-dragon-type abilities.

The internal moment was interrupted by the elder clefable. "_Human, please take good care of the child. Clefairy are loyal, she will do nothing but hold up her end of the agreement."_

Ash smiled at the elder clefairy. "Don't worry, I'll take care of her," he internally recognized that for the first time he was aware of his Clefairy's gender. She would be his very first female pokemon. He chuckled slightly curious as to how she would mesh with Pidgeotto and Growlithe.

The clefable breeched Ash's mind once again. "_While sifting through your mind earlier, I found that you are on your way to Cerulean City." _

"Yup, that's where I'm headed," replied Ash

The elder gestured in the direction of a slightly familiar looking clefable. "_My envoy can take you as far as the eastern exit of the mountain. I cannot risk him being seen in the city. Is that okay with you human Ash Ketchum?"_

Ash's face lit up. "Are you kidding me? That would save me so much time! Of course I'm okay with it!"

The clefable's face showed emotion for the first time, as he smiled. "_Very _well_ then, I look forward to maybe one day seeing you again. And I remind you please take good care of the child."_

As the elder finished its sentence, its eyes focused on something right behind Ash and it nodded. Simultaneously Ash felt something gently touch his back. Everything went black; and once again he was somewhere else. Just like the first time he had been teleported, his eyesight was slightly out of focus. By the time everything around him looked stable and clear, the clefable envoy was gone. Ash was on the outside of the mountain and his surroundings were unfamiliar. The scenery was much greener than the other side of the mountain. He could smell the crispness in the air, that only existed when close to a large body of water. Thus proving to Ash that the elder clefable had done as it said it would. He he had arrived on the other side of the mountain.

Tomorrow morning he would journey the rest of the way to Cerulean City ahead of schedule. It was late and Ash was tired. Mt. Moon was an unbelievable experience, one that Ash would never forget. He was hungry, and still had to introduce his new comrade to his other friends. But all of that could wait till tomorrow. He was too exhausted to prepare any food and introductions didn't need to be immediate.

The young boy found a safe spot to set up his sleeping bag. He released Growlithe, not feeling comfortable enough to sleep under the stars by himself.

Growlithe was confused at first as to why they were on the outside of the mountain. Then he was eager to be filled in on what exactly had happened after he was returned to his pokeball, back inside of the mountain. But the pup could see that his best friend was exhausted. He figured any questions that he had could remain unanswered until the morning.

The trainer and his pokemon fell asleep together under the starry sky. It had been another wild day, the two of them quietly drifted off into their own individual dream worlds.

XXX

Introductions had gone well. Growlithe and Pidgeotto both seemed to like Clefairy. Growlithe was a little bit more welcoming than Pidgeotto, taking his role as leader seriously.

Clefairy was at first sort of confused by the other two pokemon, but didn't take too long to get a grip over the situation She acquainted herself with the orange and black canine, along with the raptor-like avian. Ash took into account that this was possibly Clefairy's very first time seeing other pokemon outside of her own kin. Regardless, she was kind. She treated Pidgeotto and Growlithe respectfully, discerning their importance to her new trainer.

The official convocation had taken place over breakfast. Ash used the meal as an opportunity to share his aspirations with the fairy-type. Just like when he had first talked to Growlithe and Pidgeotto, he wanted Clefairy to have a clear picture of the kind of person he was and what his expectations were.

Clefairy attentively listened to everything Ash had to say. She was impressed by the human. He was passionate, intelligent, courageous and inspirational; which were all qualities that she admired. In Clefairy's mind, the moon stone had selected right. She was a perfect match for the chosen human. Most of their ideals aligned perfectly.

The fairy-type also had thoroughly examined her new trainers other two companions. They were well kept and trained properly. They were on the right path to unlocking their potential. She held the one Ash had introduced as Growlithe in high regard. She could tell that between Growlithe and Pidgeotto the orange and black canine assumed leadership. In her eyes, that made him her superior.

The one known as Pidgeotto was powerful. She could tell that the avian oozed potential. Her parents had told her all about different kinds of flying-type pokemon. Based on the references she had, Clefairy was able to tell that this one was blessed with an uncanny reserve of latent power. But after spending merely five minutes with the pokemon, she could tell that he was a sadistic buffoon. He played with his food and made all kinds of rude remarks. Regardless, he had been around longer than she had. She would treat him as her higher-up, for now.

While they were eating, Ash picked up on Clefairy's first noticeable quirk. The fairy-type was overly obsessed with the protection of her food. She huddled next to Ash as she wolfed down her sustenance. Ash had a feeling it wasn't because she was overly affectionate either. His guess was that she chose to stay close to him because he had no interest in the pokemon food. The fairy-type hastily funneled the small brown nutrient filled pellets into her mouth. All the while never once did she take her eyes off of Growlithe and Pidgeotto.

Ash found this fairly entertaining. When he first gave pokemon food to Growlithe and Pidgeotto, they were both fairly indifferent towards it. Growlithe barely reacted, probably because the professor had already introduced it to him. Pidgeotto on the other hand, only ate the stuff because of the nutrients. The first time Ash served Pidgeotto, the bird looked somewhat dumfounded. Ash assumed he'd much rather hunt.

Clefairy however, loved the stuff. Ash had to cut her off after a bowl and a half in fear of her overeating. Ash couldn't help but wonder what she ate while she lived in Mt. Moon. Whatever it was, Ash had a feeling it must have been repulsive. Because standard issued pokemon food wasn't necessarily known for its taste.

Once everyone was finished eating, they packed up camp. Before they left to trek the remaining distance to Cerulean City, Ash wanted to fit in a training session. He found it important that he had at least a small understanding of Clefairy's capabilities, especially since he was going to have to use her at the Cerulean gym. He didn't necessarily like the prospect of relying on a freshly caught pokemon. But he didn't really have all that much of a choice.

Growlithe would be at a major disadvantage. There was no way that Ash could use him at a water-type gym. As a matter of fact, Ash was still trying to come up with a way to break the news to Growlithe. The puppy pokemon was reasonable. Ash had no doubt that the canine would understand. Regardless, the fire-type was his starter, Ash expected him to be at least a little disappointed by the circumstances.

Ash sent Growlithe and Pidgeotto off on their own to spar, while he pulled Clefairy off to the side for some one-on-one training. Before they could start though, Ash needed to know her current skill level.

He activated Dexter. "_Clefairy-The Fairy Pokemon- It is said that happiness will come to those who see a clefairy under a full moon. The moonlight that it stores in its wings apparently gives it the ability to float. This Clefairy is female. Current move set- disarming voice,__ encore, pound, sing, double slap, defense curl, and wake-up slap. Ability-cute charm._

Ash had to admit, she was a lot further along then he would have guessed. He didn't recognize disarming voice, but other than that he was familiar with the rest of her learn-set. The dark haired boy started their training session by having Clefairy showcase her attacks. He needed to know if all of the the moves were stable.

She had good control over all of the techniques that Ash had the ability to judge. He didn't necessarily have the aptitude to evaluate her sing and wake-up slap combination, or her encore. But given the fact that Ash did not fall asleep when she sang, he apprehended that she had pretty good control over at least part of the combination.

She had a decently powerful pound attack, and her double slap reminded Ash never to make a girl angry. Disarming voice was an interesting capability. The pokedex explained that it was a charming cry that never missed. Apparently it did emotional damage to the opposing pokemon. Ash wasn't quite sure what the effects would be like in an actual battle. But when he watched her perform the technique, he wasn't quite sure how it could possibly cause emotional damage to anything. The vocal tone she emitted was actually rather cute in his opinion. Maybe it had a different effect on pokemon, or maybe he was just reading the definition wrong.

Clefairy's ability cute charm was highly underrated. Immobilizing a pokemon by attraction was something that, if done correctly, could be demoralizing. Unfortunately, the abilities probability of enacting was something that you could not control. It was an ability that took effect at random, and only during physical contact. It also only worked when battling a pokemon of the opposite gender. So, although it was a handy ability, it definitely wasn't something that he could rely upon when coming up with a strategy.

Now that he had a pretty good idea of Clefairy's capabilities, Ash signaled for Growlithe and Pidgeotto. Both pokemon made their way back over to Ash. They only looked slightly tired. Ash didn't get a chance to observe the intensity of their sparring, but he figured they had taken it relatively easy.

After a short break, he sent Pidgeotto to go work on twister. The avian needed the extra work on the draconic based attack. Besides, he would only need one other pokemon for the next part of Clefairy's training. Growlithe was the better choice; Clefairy seemed to respond better to him.

The dark haired boy positioned Clefairy and Growlithe for a mock battle. He needed a feel for how Clefairy would apply her techniques to actual combat. Once Ash signaled for the two pokemon to begin, they charged towards one another head on.

Ash could tell by the look of dauntlessness on Clefairy's face, that this was where she was most comfortable. Even though the prototypical stereotype for clefairy was that they were a timid species. Ash was glad to know that he didn't have to worry about lack of courage when it came to his fairy pokemon. So far she had shown Ash nothing but firmness and bravery.

XXX

The ten-year old boy fell in love with the seaside aroma that trickled in from the north, as he and his growlithe tried to track down the Cerulean City gym.

Growlithe was use to the capricious scent by now. He had picked it up at some point during the journey to Cerulean. However, he adored the sensation of the appeasing wind, as it grazed through his fur and lightly brushed up against his skin.

They had already visited the pokemon center to get refreshed. The team was all ready for their first gym battle. They saw most of the city on their way to the pokemon center. Even so, the scenery was still new enough that it continued to gratify both trainer and pokemon, while they sought after the gym.

Cerulean was the largest city Ash had been to so far. The boy also felt that it was by far the prettiest. Most of the buildings were alluringly constructed. They appeared to be much more cultivated then the other cities he had been to. A lush green landscape complimented the large city buildings and suburban neighborhoods. The plant life was well taken care of. And the roads, along with the city lights, didn't derange the gorgeous scenery.

The people were diverse and friendly. For the most part they seemed to love interaction. There were markets on just about every street corner. Ash could overhear various conversations that involved haggling. Ash tried not to appear interested though. After his display at Flint's rock shop back in Pewter City, he had come to the conclusion that he wasn't good at dealing with items that didn't have a set price.

All together, Ash was really taken back by Cerulean City. But what stood out to him the most, was the massive collection of extravagant ponds and man-made waterfalls, scattered throughout the entire city. As well as the magnificent scenic view of the northern sea inlet; it was breathtaking as you entered the city for the first time.

Cerulean City was most definitely worthy of its namesake.

With the help of a couple of likable civilians, Ash finally stood out front of the Cerulean gym. The gym was excruciatingly bizarre looking. It was shaped like a dome, with the roof being colored by alternating pink and yellow stripes. The roof's edging resembled identical recurring white waves. Located in the center of the roof's trim, above the two large glass doors, were azure letters that spelled out 'Cerulean Gym'.

"Well I guess this is it," muttered Ash. "Kind of strange looking, don't you think Growlithe?

The puppy Pokemon nodded his head in agreement.

A massive ugly wooden cutout of a seal was positioned right above the dome's wavy trim. It definitely gave off some tacky vibes. Ash tried not to develop any preconceived ideas about the gym leader based on the appearance of the gym. He wended his way forward and wedged open the heavy glass doors.

The lobby was quiet. The interior of the foyer was somewhat bland. Especially if you compared it to the building's outlandish exterior. The walls were painted a creamy-beige. They were embellished with various framed pictures of water-type pokemon, as well as live shots of different kinds of water themed performances. Ash thought that they looked to have taken place somewhere in the gym.

To Ash's right was the lobby desk. Standing behind it was a gorgeous blonde haired girl. She looked to be at least sixteen-years old. She briefly eyed Ash with her vibrant green eyes, before bringing her attention back down to the magazine she was currently skimming through.

"Are you here for a gym battle kid?" asked the beautiful girl.

Ash walked closer to the desk. "Yeah, I am. Are you the gym leader?"

She looked up from her magazine and gave Ash a smile. "I'm one of them, but lately my little sister has been taking all of the challenges."

Ash remembered that Cerulean City was home to the only gym in all of Kanto that had multiple certified gym leaders.

He blinked a couple of times, before replying. "Why's that?"

"Ehh, it just works out better that way," she shrugged. "Misty handles the battles. Lily, Violet, and I bring in the cash with our performances."

Ash left it at that. For the most part it all made sense to him. He assumed Lily and Violet must be the other gym leaders. "Well can I get a battle with Misty then?"

"Sure thing, I'll page her that she has a challenger," she readjusted the pretty pink flower in her hair. "I'm just going to need your name and how many badges you have?"

Ash scratched the back of his head. "My name's Ash, and this will be my first gym battle."

She reached out her hand welcomingly. "Nice to meet you Ash, I'm Daisy. Thanks for picking the cerulean gym as your first gym challenge."

Ash shook the girl's hand, before reciprocating a smile. "No problem, thank you for your hospitality."

"Alright Ash, so just sit down in the waiting area and I will intercom Misty," she pointed towards a comfortable looking couch that Ash had failed to notice when he first walked in.

The dark-haired boy nodded his head and sat down. Growlithe followed and lied down by Ash's feet. Daisy noticed the fire-type canine for the first time while Ash was sitting in the waiting area. Before pressing the button on the intercom, she raised a question to the boy.

"You're not planning on using a fire-type, are you?" She raised an eye-brow. "Most of the battlefield is a pool."

Ash shook his head. "No, I figured as much. I have other pokemon that i'm going to use."

Growlithe dejectedly pouted. The subject was still sensitive to the pup. Ash patted Growlithe on his head with care. Ash had shared with the fire-type his plan to use Clefairy and Pidgeotto for the gym battle, during the walk from Mt. Moon to Cerulean City. Growlithe understood; he didn't necessarily like the idea. But he trusted Ash, and wouldn't disrespect his trainer's decision. Although, that didn't mean he wasn't slightly depressed over it. He cursed the Kanto gym-circuit for their ploy to crush his morale.

Ash listened, as Daisy reached out to Misty over the buildings intercom. "Misty, you have a challenger named Ash. This is his first gym battle, so use the league registered team."

Ash had done his research. Cerulean gym's beginner team consisted of a goldeen and a starmie. They were both water-type pokemon obviously. Starmie was the evolved form of staryu, the starfish pokemon, while Goldeen was a fish-like pokemon that was in its primary stage.

It took a few moments, but Misty replied, accepting the challenge. "Sounds good, give me like five minutes."

There was a slight pause before she chimed in again. "Maybe ten, I've got to prepare the battlefield."

She sounded young over the loud speaker. Ash's guess was that she was probably around the same age as him, maybe a little bit older.

"Alright I'll bring him over in ten," answered Daisy.

The ten minutes went by quickly. Daisy kept him busy by explaining what the gym's performances were like. Almost all of them were either plays or ballets. Apparently, the water flower sisters were famous around most of Kanto. Ash had never heard of them before. But then again, he wasn't really all that into theatrics.

The research he had done on kanto's gym leaders was pretty limited either way. There were a few special cases, but for the most part he only knew a couple of cities registered pokemon. He knew what league registered pokemon the gym leaders in Pewter, Cerulean, and Vermillion City had. He wasn't originally planning on skipping Pewter. Therefore, he would have to figure out what registered pokemon Sabrina uses in Saffron City. As Ash thought about it, he figured it was probably a good thing that he skipped Brock's gym. He had heard that Sabrina, next to the gym leader in Viridian City, was the strongest and most ruthless gym leader in all of Kanto. He would rather battle Brock at full strength, than Sabrina. Once a trainer had three badges, all bets were off. Gym leaders were allowed to use whatever pokemon they wanted. Most would still give you a fair battle, but you couldn't count on anything.

Ash followed Daisy out of the lobby and down a linear hall. As they reached the end of the hallway, the corridor gradually got wider until it opened up into a large indoor natatorium.

The first thing Ash noticed was the battlefield. It was a swimming pool; he assumed that it was probably Olympic-sized. The boundaries floated above water, sort of like the lanes in a racing pool. They were tied down in such a way that they swayed a slight bit on the surface. It would be near impossible to get them to stay completely still. Water wasn't something you could unconsciously control. Both the gym leader and challenger trainers boxes, floated buoyantly on opposite ends of the pool. Ash was curious as to what the two blue drifting platforms were made out of. They were light enough to float, while being sturdy enough to support a person. There were also two smaller yellow platforms at an equidistant, floating about in the centermost part of the pool. Ash was pretty sure that the inner platforms were for pokemon that needed to battle above the water.

To his left and right were bleachers. Ash figured that the small stadium could probably seat about five hundred. After taking a second look, it was definitely the same place that the elder Waterflower girls held their performances. Ash recognized the arena from the pictures hung up on the lobby walls. The natatorium apparently served as both the gym and the performance hall.

Over on the far end of the pool, opposite of Ash, sat a young girl on the edge of the gym leaders' trainer box. The redhead, that had to be Misty, was dangling her feet in the water. By the smug appearance on her face, it was obvious to Ash that she had been waiting for him. Ash's hypothesis from earlier was correct. She was definitely around his age. Her fiery red hair was cast to the side of her head in a springy pony tail. She was pretty. Ash wouldn't say that she was on the same level as Daisy, but then again as far as he could tell, she wasn't really trying. The red head wore a tight yellow sleeveless shirt. Lying over her shoulders were thick red suspenders that connected to her jean shorts.

"You must be Ash!" bellowed the girl from across the pool. "I'm Misty, the Cerulean City gym leader!"

"She's definitely the loudest of us sisters," whispered Daisy, as they approached the pool.

Ash held back laughter in response to Daisy's comment, while he answered. "Yeah I'm Ash Ketchum I've come for a battle!"

"Where ya from Ash?" asked Misty deafeningly. "I like to know how far of a trip my challengers have to go, before I send them home crying!"

Daisy turned and whispered to Ash again. "She's also the most arrogant."

Ash couldn't help himself this time. He chuckled a little bit under his breath, before replying. "I'm from pallet town!"

He turned his hat backwards and bravely leaped out onto the blue drifting platform. "Now let's do this!"

Ash signaled Growlithe to stay at the edge of the pool. He didn't want to disrupt the large platforms buoyancy with a second body.

Misty dragged her feet out of the water and stood up on the platform.

"As you wish!" she hollered.

She removed two pokeballs from the red drawstring bag hanging from her back, and prepared for battle. "Do you know the rules of the gym?"

Ash detached a pokeball from his belt. "Nope, could you fill me in?"

Misty sighed. "It's a two-on-two battle. Once a pokemon has been called on, it can't be returned."

"Sounds good to me!" howled Ash.

"Let's get started then!" shouted Misty, as she heaved one of her two pokeballs out above the water.

Ash mirrored Misty by casting a pokeball of his own out onto one of the two yellow platforms.

The two fulgent white lights dissipated simultaneously. Whatever had been released from Misty's pokeball submerged itself underwater instantaneously. Ash wasn't able to make out if it was her starmie, or goldeen. The boy tried to use his eyes to figure out the form at the bottom of the pool, but the water wasn't clear enough. Ash was curious if the gym used some type of chemical to darken the fresh water.

Atop the yellow dais, Clefairy was revealed. In wake of the unveiling of an extremely rare pokemon, Ash heard a couple of feminine shrills of admiration coming from somewhere to his right. He swiveled his head briskly to find Daisy, along with two other attractive teenagers, gawking over his newest pokemon.

He quickly brought his attention back to the pool. Ash could tell after taking a slight glance at Misty, that she was holding back a similar reaction. Misty's first pokemon had yet to show itself. Ash was beginning to get slightly impatient. Misty most definitely had a set strategy for dealing with pokemon that couldn't battle in the water. It was the dark haired boy's assumption, that Misty's goldeen was the pokemon immersed within the depths of the pool. He didn't have any solid proof. He just figured that she would save her strongest for last. And unless Misty's goldeen was some kind of special specimen, starmie was a much greater threat.

The first move was finally made. A white fish-like pokemon with orange markings exploded from the water, looking to make contact with a horn attack.

"Jump!" bellowed Ash.

Clefairy was already in the air by the time Ash had opened his mouth. The fairy pokemon's reaction time was pretty impressive, as she narrowly avoided the goldeen's menacing horn. The after effect was a tiny splash, as the goldfish pokemon skillfully dove back into the water. Once Clefairy landed back on the platform, she squint her eyes. The fairy-type scanned the water in attempt to locate the orange and white fish.

The goldeen reemerged on the side of the pool that Clefairy wasn't analyzing, and fired a pulsing blast of water. The water pulse caught Clefairy by surprise, but she managed to avoid most of the attack by skating to the edge of the dais. She was slightly grazed, but there wasn't enough contact to cause legit damage.

Ash racked his brain in attempt to come up with a strategy. He had Clefairy's sing/wake-up slap combination, but he would have to time it while goldeen was out of the water, which was very difficult. The thick wall of goldeen's natural element would disrupt the alluring sound coming from Clefairy's vocal chords.

Misty's goldeen emerged on the other side of pool this time. The fish fired a second water pulse, this time trying to hit Clefairy head on.

In response, Clefairy jumped just high enough to clear the attack.

"Another one while it's in the air!" shouted Misty.

Goldeen fired a consecutive water pulse in attempt to belt Clefairy while she was defenselessly suspended in the air. With nowhere to go, Clefairy used defense-curl to lessen the damage. Ash doubted that that the water pulse had actually caused any significant harm. But fretted at the fact that the pressure behind the pulse had knocked Clefairy's curled up body into the water.

"Go get it with a horn attack!" commanded the fiery redheaded gym leader.

Ash frantically sifted through possibilities, as Clefairy surfaced and goldeen rapidly closed in. He panicked and just blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Try and grab its horn!"

The fairy Pokemon felt the presence of the approaching fish, as she figured out a way to carry out her trainers order. She accessed a tiny fragment of the stored moonlight in her wings. The fairy-type used the lunar based power to slightly raise her-self above the water.

The goldeen burst out of the water in pursuit.

Clefairy's unique physical ability to float had thrown off Goldeen's projection. Misty's goldeen whiffed, narrowly missing Clefairy from underneath. Clefairy used the opportunity to let go of the power in her wings; she grabbed hold of the goldeen's horn. Goldeen flailed frantically, trying to shake Clefairy off.

The fairy Pokemon used one of its arms to clutch Goldeen by the horn. She followed this up by using pound with her other fist, to ruthlessly try and batter the goldfish pokemon into submission.

Goldeen eventually managed to fend off Clefairy, but not before accumulating some heavy damage. During the water scuffle, Clefairy had managed to guide the goldeen's convulsing body within arms reach of the opponents yellow dais. She reached out to latch on to it, while simultaneously being struck in the side by an exhausted and beat-up goldeen's horn attack. Clefairy winced in pain, while she threw her body up and over the edge of the platform. Goldeen tried to jab Clefairy with a peck attack, but due to weariness, couldn't muster up enough momentum to get out of the water.

"Take a break underwater!" shouted Misty.

Clefairy reflexively reached out into the water, grabbing the fish-like pokemon by the tail, before it got a chance to escape. The fairy Pokemon dragged the goldeen's agitated form up onto the yellow platform.

"Goldeen get away!" yelled Misty.

The small pink fairy pokemon emitted a strange bewitching cry that caused goldeen to go slightly limp, before using her tail to forcefully pound the fish-like pokemon into the dais. Goldeen drifted into a state of unconsciousness, by result of Clefairy's disarming voice/pound combination.

"Great job Clefairy!" clamored Ash triumphantly. The ten-year old boy threw his fist up in celebration. Round one had gone relatively well. But the dark-haired boy was fully aware that things were about to get much more challenging.

"Good job Ash," said Misty as she returned goldeen. "That pokemon is tough. I was under the impression that clefairy were supposed to be timid."

Clefairy shot Misty a glare, in response to the slight insult to her species.

"That was supposed to be a compliment," said Misty as she scratched the back of her head. The gym leader proceeded to reignite the battle by throwing out her second pokeball.

Clefairy and Ash watched the red and white contraption, as it aimlessly floated in the air. Right before it hit the water, the pokeball split open, revealing a bizarre looking starfish. Starmie drifted on its back, showcasing its ruby red jewel. The gem was stunningly fixated in the center of its core, surrounded by a star shaped golden formation. The rest of starmie's body consisted of ten violet pointed 's jewel unexpectedly began to pulsate between multiple different colors. Ash was instantly reminded of the goliath moon stone back at Mt. Moon. Just like the starmie's core, it beautifully fluctuated between colors.

After a brief light show, the starmie submerged itself under water. Clefairy sighed, as Starmie started to play a game of submarine, just like the female human's other pokemon. The starfish pokemon repeated a cycle that consisted of continuously diving and emerging. When it would surface, it fired one of three distinct long-ranged attacks. A quick and accurate water gun, a wide spread bubble beam, or a sharp hard hitting array of stars packaged together in a swift attack.

Clefairy managed to skillfully dodge the multiple water guns and swifts. But opted to stay on the dais and use defense curl, when dealing with bubble beam. Starmie's bubble beam was too commodious to avoid, while remaining planted to the platform. After going airborne against Misty's goldeen, Clefairy was reluctant to try it again.

The repetitive dodging, as well as enduring the numerous bubble beams, had worn Clefairy down drastically. She was on her last leg. If the fairy Pokemon didn't find a way to retaliate soon, she would fall victim to exhaustion.

"Rapid spin!" shouted Misty from across the pool.

The violet colored starfish pokemon erupted out of the water. It spun horizontally at an incredible rate, resembling the propeller on a helicopter. Starmie expeditiously advanced, hurling its body in the direction of the fairy pokemon.

"Sing!" beckoned Ash.

Clefairy wisely followed her trainers' orders by vocalizing an enchanting lullaby. The fairy pokemon watched as Starmie slowly came to a gradual stop, still creating enough propulsion to remain airborne. Starmie had fallen asleep, slipping into dormancy by result of Clefairy's alluring song. The fairy Pokemon pushed off the ground, using her small lunar permeated wings to effortlessly hover over to Starmie. Starmie would be passing into a descent soon, and she didn't have the means to finish the combination if the water-type hit the water, before she reached it. She closed the distance quickly, positioning herself above and parallel to the conked gyrating starfish pokemon.

The fairy-type closed its fingers in preparation to strike.

"Wake up Starmie!" cried Misty, aware of what was about to take place. Starmie's slumber was too heavy to be broken by a mere human plea.

Clefairy enacted the final part of the combination, by using its closed palm to fiercely slap Starmie. The water-type plummeted harshly into the water, producing a copious splash.

"Starmie!" squealed Misty as she watched her pokemon suffer a laden blow.

The water-type rebounded quickly. Starmie briskly splurged out of the pool, propelling itself once again in the direction of Clefairy. There were evident signs of blemish, but it was obvious that Starmie still had plenty of fight in it. One of the drawbacks to wake-up slap was that it obviously woke up the previously inactive pokemon. Wake-up slap was also categorized as a fighting-type attack. Since Starmie was partially psychic, it didn't cause the normal amount of damage. Either way, it was Clefairy's only move in this situation. The gym's battlefield had her at a huge disadvantage from the beginning.

Starmie made contact with its rapid spin this time, knocking Clefairy higher up into the air towards the ceiling. Ash could see that Clefairy had already slipped into comatose, by result of the impact. He returned Clefairy before she collided with the gyms' roof.

"Well done Clefairy, you were amazing," whispered Ash to Clefairy's pokeball.

The dark haired boy turned his attention back to Cerulean's gym leader. "Well played Misty."

The redhead placed her hands on her hips. "_Finally_, that Clefairy of yours is quite the battler."

Ash smiled at the comment.

"Yeah, I would definitely say that's an accurate statement," the dark haired boy proceeded to propel his second pokeball up into the air. "She's not quite as adamant as this guy though!"

Misty watched, as Ash called upon the largest pidgeotto she had ever seen. It was probably close to six feet in height, which was about twice the size of the average specimen. As it spread its massive wingspan above the pool, the raptor-like avian expressed its battle cry.

Starmie wasted no time. It emerged from the water, firing multiple water guns in attempt to knock the flying-type out of the air. Pidgeotto fluently evaded the attempts. He proceeded to fire a barrage of long-ranged attacks of his own, using his wings to throw multiple gusts of wind at the starfish.

Starmie buried itself back under the water, avoiding the blasts of powerful air. The water-type once again reemerged, this time on the other side of the pool. Its top-most appendage produced an array of stars that were hurled in the direction of Pidgeotto. The bird pokemon once again evaded, while flinging more blasts of air at Starmie. Pidgeotto managed to connect with one shot, before Starmie was able to dive once again.

"Draw it out with whirlwind, aim at the water!" yelled Ash.

Pidgeotto produced several funnel shaped accumulations of wind, and released them into the water. The result was multiple reverse whirlpools. They interacted in a peculiar way, working together to retrieve anything existing beneath the surface.

Ash had to crouch down to re-gather his balance, as the blue platform swayed back and forth violently. He peered across the pool to see Misty, following his lead. The girl's platform was moving just as sporadically.

Just as planned, one of the reverse whirlpools spit out Starmie. Pidgeotto didn't sacrifice the golden opportunity. He used quick attack to crash into Starmie; the force behind the attack was strong enough to drive Starmie back into the depths of the pool. Pidgeotto sadistically observed the crazed pool of water, waiting for the next place that Starmie would surface. The battered starfish surfaced for a second time in a different location. This time it looked to use the momentum from the reverse whirlpool to its advantage.

The water-type approached Pidgeotto at a high velocity, in the form of a spiraling disc. Pidgeotto was startled by the high-speed counter, and couldn't dodge. He took the attack head-on and endured the blow, taking damage for the first time in the battle. The arena had finally calmed down, as Starmie tried to conceal itself back in the water.

"Recover!" ordered Misty.

Ash reacted hastily. "Catch it in a whirl-wind; it can't heal if it's not stationary!"

Pidgeotto regathered himself just in time to respond. He created another whirlwind and catapulted it where Starmie was going to land. The miniature tornado caught Starmie by surprise, enveloping it in its elemental grasp. The whirlwind redirected the water pokemon back towards Pidgeotto.

"Its weak use gust, aim for the platform!" commanded the young boy.

Pidgeotto used the strength of its immense wing to forcefully will Starmie to the challenger's yellow dais. Pidgeotto was successful, as Starmie collided vigorously with the platform. Starmie laid on its back helplessly as Pidgeotto descended into his finishing blow.

Misty hollered for Starmie to dodge, but there wasn't enough time. Pidgeotto used a quick attack/tackle combo, while crashing into Starmie at a horrifying speed. After the collision the bird pokemon ascended back up back up into the air. He shook off his slightly wet feathers, causing a tiny shower to fall from above. The yellow platform, which had been submersed under the water after the impact, floated to the surface carrying Starmie. The water-types core was dark, signifying that it had been forced into unconsciousness.

The battle was over. Ash had won.

Ash burst into a joyful laughter, as he leaped off of the blue dais, and celebrated outside the pool with Growlithe. "We got our first badge!"

Pidgeotto landed next to his trainer. The flying type puffed up his chest with pride, receiving a smile of appreciation from his trainer.

Growlithe simply nodded, acknowledging his comrades fine display.

Misty returned her unconscious Starmie with a sigh, and walked around the pool to congratulate her opponent.

"Well I got to say Ash, I wasn't expecting that," said Misty.

The redhead smiled and held out her hand. Lying on her palm was a small blue trinket, shaped like a drop of water. "You're the first rookie this season to beat me on their first try."

"After battling you I can see why," said Ash, while picking up the cascade badge from Misty's hand. "Thank you for the great battle. I'd love to have a rematch sometime."

"We can arrange that," smirked Misty. "Except next time I'll use my real team."

Ash gave Misty a look of determination. "Count on me to stop by sometime after I get my eighth badge."

"This will be fun," said Misty excitedly. "By the way don't forget to thank that Clefairy of yours, your pidgeotto was strong, but Clefairy had some real guts."

Ash grinned, just thinking about her performance. "No reason to worry about that. She'll be given as much pokemon food as she can eat as a prize."

Misty gave Ash a look of confusion, before deciding to ignore the puzzling comment.

"You better be careful what you ask for Ash," said Daisy, as she and the other two Waterflower sisters approached the scene.

The pink haired girl chimed in on the conversation. "Yeah, _like_ our gyms' pokemon are no joke kid."

Ash scratched the back of his head. "I'm sure their really strong," the boy smirked. "But by the time I return I'll be ready for them."

Misty reached her hand out. "I accept your challenge, and look forward to our battle."

Ash mirrored the Cerulean City gym leader. "It'll definitely be one to remember."

Ash returned Pidgeotto, and said goodbye to the Cerulean sisters. He planned on staying the night at the city's pokemon center. As he exited the gym and headed towards the pokemon center, the boy reflected on how much fun his first gym battle was. He couldn't wait for the next one.

Tomorrow morning he would set off for Vermillion City, the location of his next challenge.

XXX

"Good job Pidgeotto," said Ash, as he brushed his fingers through his flying-types plumage.

Pidgeotto enjoyed the attention. He loved being pampered by his trainer, almost as much as he cherished the look on Growlithe's envious face.

They were about five miles southeast of Cerulean City. They had traveled for a couple of hours before Ash decided that it was time for a training session. During the training period, Ash primarily had worked with Pidgeotto. Clefairy and Growlithe were asked to spar on the side.

The central focus of the session was to work towards mastering twister. Pidgeotto had been working on the move for a couple of days now, and Ash figured it was about time they made some real progress. After about an hour of non-stop grinding, Ash and Pidgeotto had developed twister into a discernible attack. It was weak and somewhat unstable, but progress was most definitely evident.

While Ash was working with Clefairy the other day, he didn't really get an opportunity to witness Pidgeotto's work. Apparently, during the previous session, the flying-type had gotten a semi-decent hold on deciphering draconic energy. So the whole point of today's training was to facilitate that energy into the equilibrium of his whirlwind. The bird had made some considerable progress.

The only problem left had to do the attacks perpetual endurance. Pidgeotto's whirlwind could only carry the draconic energy if it was compromised. He had trouble at its core. He could only draw on enough draconic energy to balance out a small whirlwind. But he didn't have enough experience with the foreign power to facilitate it evenly throughout his typical-sized attack.

But that would come with more time. Ash was just happy that Pidgeotto was making progress.

His friend seemed to be enjoying the challenge. In the Viridian Forest, Pidgeotto was at the top of the ecosystem's hierarchy of power. Even though he desired to grow into a powerful pidgeot, he didn't quite know the steps he had to take. Ash was creating a map for his growth, and Pidgeotto could see that. Twister was just one of the stops on the way to Pidgeotto's ultimate goal.

As Ash ran his fingers through Pidgeotto's feathers, the avian locked onto a new desire within himself that had developed only since he was captured. Pidgeotto felt a deep adherence of accountability towards Ash. His greatest desire was still to become a dominant pidgeot. But this new developing area of aspiration seemed to form a new exhilarating outlook on his original goal.

He no longer craved the desire to become the strongest Pidgeot in world for his own appetite. Instead, he wanted to do it for Ash. Ash was the kind of human that deserved him. Pidgeotto had always mocked captured pokemon's brain-washed devotion to their idiotic trainers. But Ash was different. The boy was worthy of his respect. He did not ask Pidgeotto to change, instead he desired for him to grow. That alone was enough of a reason for Pidgeotto to yearn for Ash's success.

The other reason was that before Ash, Pidgeotto's desires seemed like a dream. He knew he was blessed by the creator. Ever since he was a hatchling he was different. He was born nearly twice the size of his brothers and sisters. Within his family it was a curse. His mother and father put him on a pedestal. His siblings envied him.

When it was time to leave the nest, he ostracized himself. The heavy expectations of his parents and the jealousy rooted hatred felt from his siblings, created a bastardized craving for power. Not to fulfill his parents expectancy and not to spite his disgusting siblings, but to rebelliously prove his worth to himself. Ash was becoming the light to his dark perverse greed. He was the antidote to all of the poison that had been injected into his character throughout his childhood.

He had never been congratulated for a win. He had never been praised for his hard work. Pidgeotto had never had allies that shared similar goals. He had never been cared for by someone else. From the day he was born, until he met Ash, he had felt alone. The flying-type had mistaken the empty feeling of loneliness as inadequacy. But it wasn't until he had spent a few days with Ash, that he realized that what he really needed was a friend.

Sure, the flying-type knew that he would probably always have his barbarous character flaws. But now that he had someone to be accountable to, someone that could pick out his strengths and diminish his weaknesses day-by-day. He felt at ease.

He also felt that he had two new siblings, in Clefairy and Growlithe. Siblings that he could rely on to help wash away the sinful hatred he had developed for his biological brothers and sisters. He knew he would probably drive both of them nuts at times. His sadistic nature was hard to suppress. But one thing he was certain of was that he would protect what was important to him. And this was the closest to a _real_ family he had ever been.

Ash playfully scratched his flying-type's wings as the bird zoned out into deep thought.

Growlithe jokingly snarled, slightly jealous of the tender loving care Pidgeotto was getting. He was also still trying to shake off the annoyingly sadistic look his feathery friend had given him earlier.

Clefairy sat and admired Ash for his thoughtfulness. She was starting to feel much more comfortable around her trainer.

They got back to work. Ash wanted to make a little more advancement with Pidgeotto's twister, before they got moving again. He also thought that it would be a good idea to get Clefairy and Growlithe to start working towards their next skill. He wanted to lay the foundation for teaching Clefairy how to minimize herself. As well as teach Growlithe his next elemental attack, flame wheel.

Once Ash was satisfied with their advancement for the day, they would hit the road again.

XXX

The blonde haired boy returned his unconscious mouse pokemon. The naturally angry looking rat lied on its back feebly, after the convincing defeat.

"Wow, you're pretty strong! Do you have any trainer badges?" asked the boy, as he returned his raticate.

Ash scratched the back of his head sheepishly, before calling Growlithe back over to him. "Um… just one."

"Which one?" asked the boy inquisitively.

Ash raised an eyebrow at the nosy kid, but replied. "I got the cascade badge a couple of days ago."

The kid's expression lit up. "Can I see it please?" The boy jumped up and down excitedly. "I've never seen an official league badge before!"

Ash sighed, after that reaction he would feel bad if he didn't show the kid. "Sure, just let me get it out."

The dark haired boy reached into his back pocket, pulling out a polished black wooden badge case. He had bought it right before he left Cerulean at one of the markets. He undid the golden latch that locked the symmetric sides in place and flipped it open. The inside of the case was coated with soft red velvet. Sitting securely in one of eight molded slots, was the azure colored, rain drop shaped, metal emblem.

"That's so cool! I bet you could take on A.J.!" shouted the boy enthusiastically, while clenching both of his fists.

The boy had Ash's attention. "Who's A.J.?"

"Only the toughest trainer around here, last I heard, he was going for his ninety-fifth straight win," said the boy.

Ash whistled. "Damn, ninety-five wins in a row," he proceeded to question the boy. "Where can I find this guy?"

The blonde haired boy gave Ash a toothy grin. "He lives close by! If I show you where he lives can I watch your battle?"

Ash nonchalantly shrugged.

"Sure thing," he reached out for a hand-shake. "I don't think I ever caught your name."

The blonde haired boy respectfully mirrored Ash. "I'm David! Nice to meet you," he looked at Ash curiously. "What about you?

"I'm Ash Ketchum," replied Ash. "Nice to meet you."

Ash went ahead and followed David. The walk to A.J.'s place was pretty dull; this part of the route he was traveling on was for the most part flat and arid. The grass was mostly dry, and the only pokemon to be found were ratatta, raticate, and every so often an infrequent pidgey.

A.J.'s place certainly was not what Ash was expecting. From what he could see, the dwelling was pretty big. It was dome shaped; the roof being patterned with several pink and yellow stripes, reminding him of the cerulean gym. The structure, however, was not what had taken Ash by surprise. The size of the property was what impressed Ash. It was massive, fenced off by countless pieces of large bounded timber. Ash wasn't sure just how much land the fencing encompassed, but if he had to guess it was at least four to five acres.

David led Ash around the confines of the property in search of the entrance. It took quite a long time because of the vastness of the rural estate. The entrance was a bounded log gate; it blended in with the rest of the wooden girder. Above the gate was an erected scoreboard that read, "A.J.'s gym, 95 wins, 0 losses."

"You again, I thought you got your fill last time?" heckled a voice from behind them.

Ash turned around to find a boy that looked to be about a year or two older than him. He had natural wild thick black spiked hair, however, the front was died a nasty forest green. The boy wore a black collared shirt, with a thick erratic streak of red that was almost as vehement as the boy's facial expression. He wore blue shorts that settled right above his knees, and his bright red shoes matched the red streak on his shirt. Ash also noticed that he was carrying a small blue backpack, hinting to Ash that the boy had been out for a while.

David frowned. "I'm not here to battle you."

Ash sighed in response to the discourteous new arrival. "He just came to watch. I'm your challenger."

The boy Ash assumed to be A.J. grinned adamantly. "Is that so, and who might you be?"

"I'm Ash Ketchum."

The fierce looking boy pointed up at the name on the win tracker. "A.J."

A.J. proceeded to push open the large gate, while signaling Ash to follow. "Care to be number 96 kid?"

Ash mumbled something under his breath, as he and Growlithe followed A.J. onto the rural property.

Upon entrance, Ash was flabbergasted. Out front of the lone dome-shaped structure, was an official looking battle field. It reminded Ash of the training ground he had battled Gary on back in Viridian. It was risen up, and made out of earth; Ash assumed it was probably sculpted by a ground-type.

The painted boundaries looked to be even, by result of careful measurement. A.J. climbed up one of the four wooden staircases', embed into a side of the battlefield. Apparently, he wanted to get straight to business. Ash and Growlithe followed A.J. up onto the battle field, and shambled over to the opposing white painted trainer box. They then confidently faced their competition.

"How does one on one work for you kid?" asked the brusque boy.

Ash nodded his head affirmatively. "No complaints over here."

The dark-haired boy looked down at Growlithe, before coaxing him forward. "This ones all you buddy."

Growlithe concurred, strutting forwards toward the center of the battlefield. He looked at the other human intently; patiently waiting for his opponent to be revealed.

A.J. assuredly cast a pokeball in response. "Go Sandshrew!"

The yellow ground-type burst through a flash of bright white light, disclosing itself. It was a burly specimen, much bigger than the one Ash had caught a glimpse of back in Mt. Moon. If he had to guess, Ash would say that it was nearing evolution. Ash could tell that Sandshrew wasn't going to go down easily.

This would be a tough one for Growlithe. The pup was still young. Sandshrew on the other hand, looked awfully experienced. The yellow mouse Pokemon glared down at Growlithe, acknowledging the fire-type.,

The two pokemon circled each other, both waiting for an opportunity to strike. Growlithe wasn't daunted by sandshrew's icy stare. Sandshrew's large overwhelming advantage in experience cancelled out Growlithe's ability to intimidate.

Growlithe charged ferociously, using his speed to rapidly cover the short distance between him and his opponent.

Sandshrew coiled itself up into a ball, preparing to use its tough hide to endure whatever attack Growlithe threw at him.

Growlithe pounced on the spherical figure, all the while trying to feel for sandshrew's closing point. Defense-curl had an access point, if Growlithe could find it, he could rip the sandshrew out of its defensive form.

Sandshrew exploded recklessly out of its defensive stance under its own terms. It made solid contact with Growlithe, using its powerful muscular body to knock the canine back a few feet.

Growlithe shook it off, quickly regaining his balance. He reanalyzed the situation and propelled a barrage of embers in the direction of sandshrew.

In response to the loud cracking sound of A.J.'s savage whip, Sandshrew hastily avoided the multitude of fire. This was the first time Ash spotted his opponents course whip. He figured A.J. must have been concealing it in his backpack. He had failed to notice him extract it because his eyes were on the pokemon. Ash understood tough training, but using a whip for motivation was nothing but cruel.

It pissed him off. It was disgusting.

"Growlithe return!" shouted Ash.

Growlithe froze in confusion. The fire-type plodded back over to Ash, he had never heard such a menacing tone from his trainer before.

"What the hell kid!" A.J. bellowed nastily. "We were just getting started."

Ash looked at the kids sandshrew and then back up at him. "Why are you chasing so many wins in a row A.J.?"

The barbarous boy laughed menacingly. "I made a vow that when I reach one hundred wins in a row, I will take the pokemon league by storm!"

Ash figured as much. "You're stronger than me right now, I can see that much. But I hate the way you train your pokemon."

A.J. gave Ash a quizzical stare. "What did you say kid?"

"You would of won this battle; your sandshrew is experienced and strong" Ash pointed up at the pompous score board. "But I refuse to let someone like you, use me to boost your self-righteous ego. If you want to count this as a victory go ahead. Just know that it came from someone that refused to battle an ass-hole that uses a whip to provoke his pokemon in battle."

A.J. was slightly flustered by the boy's bold statement. "Y-ou don't know anything about how I train my pokemon kid! What makes you think you know anything about me?"

"Just take one look at your pokemon!" ranted Ash, as he pointed at the sandshrew. "It's not enjoying this battle; it's battling out of fear!"

A.J. looked down at Sandshrew, and for the first time noticed its trembling body as it stared at the whip in his dominant hand.

Ash turned to David, who was standing to the side of the battle field astonished. "I'm leaving, thanks for showing me the way. I'm sorry you didn't get to see a good battle."

David smiled. "It's fine Ash, no hard feelings."

A.J. looked at Ash menacingly, as the dark haired boy walked out of his mock gym. "Where do you think you're going coward? I'm not done with you yet!"

Ash turned around before walking off of the property. "If you want to battle me make it to the league tournament. If you have yet to change your ways by then, I promise to embarrass you in front of all of Kanto."

"That's a lot of confidence for someone that was about to get beat!" howled the disgruntled pokemon trainer.

Ash laughed. "I've only had my pokemon for a couple of weeks. Give me a little bit of time and we'll see how things play out."

"_Pshhh _whatever you say kid! I guess I'll see you at the tournament!" retorted A.J.

Ash smirked confidently. "I'll be looking forward to it."

A.J. stared hatefully at Ash's back as he walked away. The kid had made a mockery of him... while forfeiting a battle. He hadn't lost, but for some reason it felt like he did.

Ash looked down at his buddy Growlithe, as they gained distance between themselves and A.J.'s gym. His puppy pokemon looked up at Ash skeptically, utterly confused by what had just happened.

Ash sighed. "Don't look at me like that; I had to make a point."

Growlithe looked ahead blankly, still confused.

"If we were to have kept battling, it wouldn't have proved anything," said Ash. "A win, or a loss, the results wouldn't have led to anything positive."

Growlithe continued to listen intently.

"If we would have lost, he would have obviously kept on going about things the same way. If we would have won, it would probably have made things worse. Chances are he'd end up pushing Sandshrew even harder… using more distasteful methods."

The fire-type started to catch on.

"Sometimes, refusing to battle someone is the only move you can make," explained Ash. "Especially, when it comes to people like A.J."

Growlithe looked up at his trainer discernibly. The boy was much wiser than his age suggested.

"Trust me, I would never back down from a challenge that actually matters," said Ash. "But in a situation like the one back there, the well-being of that sandshrew is more important to me."

Growlithe understood, he dropped his head feeling slightly guilty for doubting his trainer.

Ash chuckled. "Don't worry buddy I'm not upset. I get that you wanted to finish the battle."

The orange and black coated pup looked up at his trainer, as they continued on their way. Everyday the dark haired boy found a way to surprise his puppy pokemon.

XXX

A couple of days had gone by since the incident at A.J.'s gym. Ash and Growlithe were stuck in a deep fog, somewhere betwixt Cerulean and Vermillion City. The new route was very green. The dirt path he traveled on winded through an assortment of tall trees, grown amidst acres of thick robust pasture. To Ash's displeasure, the appealing scenery was blurred by the irksome low-lying cloud. It drifted amongst the air in steady suspension.

The past few days had been very tiresome; consisting of nothing but walking, training, and battling. The grind of travel was starting to wear on Ash. His back ached, his legs were heavy, and he was in desperate need of a bath. This was the longest stretch he had gone in between cities. He was beginning to regret the decision not to pass through Saffron.

The dark-haired boy was anxiously waiting for the day that the high lactic acid levels in his muscles lowered, due to muscular development. The human body was a strange thing. Compared to pokemon, it took much longer to build back up brokendown large fiber tissue. Regardless, the process was occurring. He was just in need of some good rest; that way the flesh could reconstruct itself to be stronger and more durable.

Even though they were tough, the past couple of days had been well worth the fatigue. They had gained a lot of ground, knocking out about a quarter of the distance between Cerulean and Vermillion City.

The rewards of training had been valuable.

Pidgeotto was very close to mastering twister. The flying-type was now capable of evenly facilitating draconic energy into a medial sized whirlwind. It was also stable enough to use in a live battle. There was still room for improvement, but Ash figured the avian was only a couple of solid training sessions away from being able to access twister, while using the full extent of his power.

The puppy pokemon's flame wheel was developing nicely as well. Learning to envelope himself in his own flame came naturally, due to all of the ember control training he had been doing with Ash. The only thing holding him back from being able to use it confidently in battle was fire capacity. Growlithe still wasn't quite capable of producing the amount of fire he needed to elevate his body off of the ground and propel it forward, while continuously rotating head over.

Minimize was frustrating, to both Ash and Clefairy. Most pokemon that learned the highly advantageous technique, usually had bodies made up of an extremely ductile substance; allowing them to freely manipulate their body into different sizes. Clefairy's species didn't have that luxury. She had to rely on a unique thaumaturgic energy that was distinct to only a few species. This energy could actually recalibrate every speck of her being, making it possible to shrink in size. Unfortunately, the lack of information on the species as a whole, made it difficult to teach. They'd made some progress, but it was a slow process. And Ash had no way of judging whether the complications were due to lack of experience, or poor execution. Clefairy knew how to access the power, but was struggling with application. Ash had no doubt that they'd come up with a solution. It was just going to take some time...

Battles over the last couple of days had come few and far between. The only memorable one was a match between Growlithe and a trainer's machop. The puppy pokemon was on the verge of defeat, when he used a makeshift version of flame-wheel to knock out the fighting-type. It was a lucky win, but that didn't make it any less satisfying.

As Ash continued to trudge through the deep fog, it gradually thinned out due to a steady rise in temperature. The dark-haired boy and Growlithe could now make out the delightful scenery around them a little more clearly. The trees were brimming with butterfree and pidgey; loitering in the grass were many common pokemon like ratatta and oddish. The surplus of weed pokemon was the first that he'd seen of the species. He was in need of a grass-type, but the prospect of training one of the two-foot blue creatures didn't appeal to him. They were a good source of entertainment though; it was comical to watch the green shrub atop their head fidget around as they mingled amongst each other.

During the beautiful walk, as the fog completely dissipated, Growlithe was the first to spot a lone boy in the distance. As they closed in on the young scrawny boy, it was obvious that he was upset. He sat under the shade of a tree, with his arms holding his curled up legs firmly. His head was buried in his lap, as he hid his face from the world.

Ash wasn't the type of person that could walk by someone that looked to be in need. He approached the solemn boy discreetly, not wanting to alarm him. "Are you okay?"

The boy jolted. He obviously had no idea that someone else was around. He wiped the tears from his eyes, as he gathered himself. "Um, yeah i'm fine. Uhh thanks for asking I guess."

Ash looked down at the boy. His eyes were pretty red. Ash didn't need to see tears to be able to tell that the curly haired boy had been crying for a while.

"If you're fine, then why are you crying?" Asked Ash, as Growlithe neared the child; sniffing him and his navy blue school uniform.

"It's that obvious?" asked the boy, while he attempted to rub the red out of his eyes.

"Yeah kind of," confessed Ash.

The brown haired boy sighed. "I guess there's nothing left to be ashamed about if you've seen me cry uh—"

"Ash," said the dark haired trainer, sensing that the boy was trying to ask for his name.

"Hiya Ash," replied the scrawny looking boy, as he shook the dark haired trainers' hand. "My name's Joe."

Growlithe curled up into a ball next to the boy, sensing that he could use some comfort. He closed his eyes as the boy gently pet the creamy colored tuft on his head.

"Your Growlithe sure is friendly," said the boy. "How long have you had him?"

"A couple of weeks," answered Ash. "Are you trying to change the subject?"

"How many badges do you have?" asked Joe.

Ash glared at the curly haired boy. "I have one. Now stop trying to change the subject."

Joe smiled for the first time. "Fine, you caught me."

Ash laughed. "I understand. I have a tough time talking about my feelings as well."

The boy ran his fingers through the front of his own hair, as he answered. "Yeah, I think that it's part of being a boy."

Ash nodded. "I think you're right. Well just know that you can trust me, I might not be the best at emotions, but I'll try and help if I can."

"I think i'll take you up on that offer," agreed Joe. "It's been a long time since I've sat down and talked with someone."

Ash sat down next to Growlithe and Joe. He found a shaded spot and rested his back up against the tree. "So what's got you so upset?"

Joe gulped before speaking. "My classmates."

Ash sighed at the short response. "And what's wrong with your classmates?"

Joe picked up a nearby stick and started to fiddle around with the dirt by his feet, as he explained. "Well I go to school at the Pokemon Technical Institute right up the road. I'm not that good in school, so I'm near the bottom of my class when it comes to grades. The rest of the kids think that I'm some kind of failure because of my scores, so they treat me like dirt."

Ash internally scowled. He'd heard of the Pokemon Technical Institute. It was a preppy school for kids that wanted to go to the league tournament, but didn't want to travel around and earn badges. The only way to get in was to either have a boat load of money, or to get a scholarship after sending in exemplary trainer qualification scores to the school's board of admissions. Despite his mother's wishes, Ash hadn't even bothered to send in his. The idea of sitting at a desk, instead of going out into the world and doing the real thing made him want to vomit.

"I have a simple solution. Dropout and go to the league the old fashion way," said Ash seriously.

Joe sadly chuckled, "I wish it were that easy. My parents paid a lot of money for me to get in."

"So you'd rather travel?" asked Ash.

"Of course I would, but my parents signed me up without asking," he murmured. "And they don't have a lot of money. They've been saving up for this since I was born. So I'd feel horrible if I backed out."

Ash could sense that Joe wasn't going to budge. "Well since you can't leave, there's got to be at least one kid that'll be your friend. It's always easier to drudge through a crappy situation when you got somebody by your side."

"See that's the problem. There are plenty of nice kids in the beginner's class. But there is one girl that controls everything. Her name's Giselle, she comes from one of the wealthiest families in all of Kanto," said Joe.

Ash listened intently, while Growlithe cuddled up closer to Joe.

"She's convinced pokemon battles are a perfect science. So anybody that can't pass the institutes curriculum is trash. She has the entire beginners' class wrapped around her finger, because of her overwhelming social status. For that reason, and the fact that she's a twisted narcissistic sadist, she tortures students that struggle."

The scrawny boy proceeded to reach into his coat pocket. He pulled out a picture of a gorgeous brown-eyed girl. She had on a blue skirt, that formally laid over a white collared blouse. Tied around the collar was a pretty red bow.

"Who's that?" Asked Ash. "She's gorgeous."

Joe blushed red, as he gawked at the picture. "That's Giselle."

"Wait that's Giselle!" shouted Ash surprised. "Why the hell do you have a picture of her?"

Joe scratched the back of his head bashfully. "I hate the way she treats people. I love the way she looks."

Ash inconsiderably groaned. "So do you hate this girl, or do you love her?"

"I can't freaking stand her," said Joe. "But she's hot."

Ash stood up from his spot underneath the tree and brushed the dirt off of his pants. "Alright I got an idea. Can you take me to the school?"

"What are you going to do?" asked Joe skeptically, while raising an eyebrow.

Growlithe got up from his spot next to Joe and trotted over to his trainer's side. The puppy pokemon looked back at Joe expectantly, waiting for the boy to lead the way.

"Before I take you, what's your plan Ash?" asked Joe as he slowly stood up.

Ash cunningly smirked. "I'm going to prove her wrong."

"And how are you going to do that?" wondered the boy. "She's the top of the class, making her the most advanced beginner. That means she's equivalent to a traveling trainer that has three badges."

Ash snickered. "That's a complete joke. People aren't something you can predict with some kind of stupid system. I'm going to beat her narrow minded view of pokemon, and make her rethink her brainless logic."

"To be honest, I think you're in over your head," said Joe. "But things really can't get any worse at school, so I might as well see this plan put into action."

Ash beckoned his new acquaintance forward. "Good, lead the way."

The determined trainer and his Growlithe accompanied Joe, as he led the way to the institution. During the walk, the skinny boy asked Ash a lot of questions, trying to take an interest in him as a person. Ash figured that he was probably trying to make up for the conversation by the tree. Ash ruminated that the boy was probably convinced that he was being a nuisance, which he wasn't. Ash got a lot of fulfillment from helping people, and the the last couple of days were excruciatingly repetitive. He desired a short change of pace.

The school was only about a half-mile from where they originally set off. After following a sign that directed them off of the main trail, the several enclosing trees gradually became fewer, until the new path opened up into a capacious clearing. The voluminous space acted as school grounds; featuring an enormous extravagant three-story structure.

"So where are we going to find Giselle?" asked Ash. "This place is huge. She could be anywhere."

Joe gave Ash a knowing look.

"The rich are creatures of habit," he looked down at the watch on his left wrist. "It's a little after noon, I know where she'll be."

Ash excused the creepy reply and followed Joe once again. The fair skinned boy took Ash around to the back of the school. There were tons of kids scattered about in different places, eating in their respective cliques.

It was lunch time.

Some kids ate at tables, while others found a nice spot on the grass to picnic. Ash received several addled stares. He wasn't surprised, since he was the only person amongst the conflux of students that wasn't wearing a navy blue uniform.

Ash returned Growlithe after taking a look at his overwhelmed friend. He was starting to pick up on the fact that the fire-type didn't do to well around large clusters of people.

Joe brought Ash over to a wide white staircase. It steeply led up to the institutions back door. Sitting on the steps was the beautiful brunette from the picture. She sat elegantly, eating her lunch, while being idolized by a gaggle of mindless admirers.

Ash grimaced, as Giselle bored down on him with a look that was trying to portray his inferiority.

She moved her demeaning glare to Joe, who was clearly intimidated. He set his eyes on just about everything except the delicate girl.

"So you're Giselle,"stated Ash, as he treaded up the first couple steps of the staircase.

She flipped her hair, acknowledging Ash's statement. "Yes, I am Giselle. Who are you?"

Her voice was appropriate. It was soft, and resonated nobility. It was the type of voice you'd expect to hear from a princess.

"I'm Ash Ketchum," he said. "My friend Joe here told me all about you. I've come for a battle."

She looked at him disinterestedly. "It's obvious that you don't go to school here. Not only are you without a school uniform, but you're also calling poor little Joe over there your friend."

Giselle's lackeys snickered in the background at their idol's comment.

"You can't treat people like that," said Ash. "What makes you think that you are so much better than Joe?"

She gasped, obviously offended.

"Are you trying to compare me to that weakling," she said. "We are in entirely different leagues; we come from completely different worlds."

Giselle chuckled snootily. "He isn't worthy of licking the dirt off of my boot."

Joe frowned at that last comment, unmistakably hurt.

Ash scowled, as he walked up the stairs coming face to face with the cold-blooded beauty. "I'm going to prove that you are closer to _our_ world then you think. I come from a small town named Pallet, I only have one badge, and I'll battle you with a type-disadvantage. I'll win and prove to you that your moronic views on pokemon are flat-out wrong."

She gasped for a second time, utterly flabbergasted.

"How dare a commoner speak to me that way!" she stood up. "I will completely embarrass you. I will wipe the floor with your plebeian pokemon! I will make sure you regret ever stepping foot on this campus you disgusting dog!"

Giselle's living doormat's stood up from their spots on the staircase as well, eyeing Ash venomously.

"Prove it in a battle," said Ash. "Your worlds method versus mine."

"Fine you little worm, follow me," hissed Giselle as she stormed up the steps, and violently swung open the door's to the school.

The rest of her worshipper gave Ash a nasty glare, as they followed her up the stare case.

Joe turned to Ash and whispered. "You're crazy, i've never seen anyone talk to her like that."

Ash gave Joe a playful smile. "We're just getting started."

Ash felt a little bit of his sadistic pidgeotto's personality rubbing off on him, as they followed Giselle through the hall and down a short flight of stairs. The descending staircase led to a set of double doors. Giselle turbulently swung them open, just like how she forcibly opened the doors to the school.

Ash internally chuckled, he'd somehow managed to turn the elegant princess, into a wicked witch. He thought back to his encounter with A.J. a couple of days ago. Although he was slightly enjoying himself; he hoped that dealing with crazy people wasn't becoming a side hobby.

The doors opened up to an empty indoor battle facility. It featured a couple of state of the arch battlefields that dipped down even further underground. Ash figured it was to make sure that anything else in the facility wasn't damaged by any stray attacks. Placed to the left of the entrance, was some kind of deluxe machinery. Ash watched as Giselle pressed a couple of buttons on the apparatus' face. Moments later the fancy looking machine delivered a pokeball through a slot protruding from its side.

She turned to Ash. "Well, you ready to learn your lesson urchin?"

Ash rolled his eyes, as he walked down onto the battlefield. He picked a trainers' box; settling in opposite of the brown-eyed girl.

Joe watched as the battle was about to begin. He silently prayed that Ash knew what he was doing. He had said earlier that he didn't think things could get any worse at school. Unfortunately, he had a feeling that if Ash was unsuccessful, Giselle would find a way to make his lack of a social life even more hellish than it already was.

Giselle vehemently bellowed. "One-on-one you insect! We will battle until _your_ pokemon is unconscious!"

Ash laughed. "Don't you mean one of _our_ pokemon?"

She lowered her eye brows disconcertingly.

"No, I mean your pokemon," she said matter-of-factly. "If I said said _our, _that would be insinuating that I believe _you _a common worm, have a chance at winning."

Ash scratched his head disbelievingly, he couldn't believe how painstakingly narcissistic the girl was. "Can we just get on with it please?"

Her complexion turned red, as she fumed.

"Your lack of respect is disgusting! I'm going to step all over your pride!" she bellowed, as she she chucked her pokeball out onto the battlefield.

Emerging was an average looking graveler. It looked to be nowhere near as experienced as the one Pidgeotto had lost to on the way to Mt. Moon. The living Boulder smashed two of its large four fists together as it prepared to battle.

Ash smirked. He couldn't have asked for a better situation. If he had to guess, his barbarous Pidgeotto was still sour over his lone defeat nearly a weak ago. This would be a perfect opportunity for his sadistic friend to slightly diminish his sole blemish; against another member of the birds' current most hated species.

"Pidgeotto, come out to play," declared Ash.

Upon appearance, the behemoth Pidgeotto burst into the air. He circled the living slab of rock from above; staring down deplorably with nothing but malicious intent.

Giselle gulped. She had never seen, nor heard, of a pidgeotto that large. It blew the listed measurements out of the water. Pidgeotto were typically three-feet seven-inches in height. This specimen was twice that. The average pidgeotto's wingspan was around five-feet, the one circling above her head was probably pushing on eight. She suppressed any rising doubt, and clung to the fact that Graveler was a rock-type, while Pidgeotto was a flying-type. Graveler had the type advantage.

The evolved rock pokemon peered up at the bird with its small slanted eyes. Ash figured it to be scanning the situation; trying to come up with a plan of action.

Pidgeotto began to feel out his opponent. He used his colossal wingspan to thrust a barrage of half-powered gusts down on the dimwitted boulder. The pressurized wind descended on the graveler, causing it to try and stand firm. The graveler waved back and forth awkwardly. The avian made a wry face. This graveler was significantly weaker then the last one he'd gone up against. By the way its body slightly fumbled, he could tell it didn't have great coordination. Most likely it had just evolved.

"Full-power gust now!" commanded Ash.

Pidgeotto followed orders. With a powerful flap of his wings he hurled a cogent blast of wind at the rock pokemon.

Graveler grimaced, as it was brought to one knee under the immense compression. It dug its fingers into the battlefields tough surface for support; trying to endure the harsh wind.

Pidgeotto seemingly vanished, using a high speed quick attack to descend to the surface. He used his right wing to deliver a slightly weaker gust into Graveler's face. Pidgeotto watched the results unfold, as Graveler grimaced in pain, sliding back a considerable distance. His rooted fingers shredded the terrain, creating a mess of debris.

Graveler gathered himself, coming to a halt. It used two of its four arms to hurl some of the loose bits of terrain in the direction of Pidgeotto. The stone came soaring through the air at a high velocity, in attempt to inflict damage.

"Dodge with quick attack!" thundered Ash.

Pidgeotto ascended into the air rapidly, creating a slight after image. He narrowly avoided the long-ranged attack.

Graveler proceeded to hastily fling numerous amounts of debris. Using the newly fractured terrain to his advantage.

Pidgeotto skillfully maneuvered his way around the wide-spread rock-throw, only being grazed a few times by shed fragments of stone. The multiple mock battles between the raptor-like avian and Growlithe had greatly improved Pidgeotto's flight acrobatics. Dodging the puppy pokemon's array of ember was a great way to practice against situations such as these.

Graveler continued his rock throw. With Pidgeotto airborne, the majority of its attacks were useless. It began to unload at a faster rate, causing Pidgeotto to repetitively use quick attack in order to avoid.

"Hit it already!" yelled Giselle in frustration.

"Use its power against it. Counter with whirlwind!" clamored Ash.

Pidgeotto took a second to catch on to Ash's unorthodox plan. He quickly located a safe void amidst the continuous enfilade of stone. He used his wings to muster up an expansive whirlwind. It vacuumed in the surrounding stone, and viciously propelled it back towards its source.

The graveler didn't have a chance to react, as it was bombarded by a more intense reciprocation of its own attack. The rock pokemon shrieked as the rock-filled tornado swept him up; flinging him across the arena. Giselle cursed out loud as her pokemon of choice was on the verge of defeat. All hope was lost when the battered Graveler was finished off by a violently condensed medial purple tinted tornado.

Ash smiled as he watched the slightly incomplete twister fade away, to reveal an unconscious Graveler. Pidgeotto landed next to his trainer, chirping out a sadistic chuckle. The flying-type wasn't necessarily happy about the easy victory, but did thoroughly enjoy the sight of the blacked out graveler.

Giselle fell to her knees, looking visibly disturbed by her demoralizing loss. "I don't understand. I'm at the top of the class, you're a commoner with a single badge."

She quietly ranted. "I had a Graveler, you had a Pidgeotto."

Ash returned Pidgeotto, before nodding at an astonished Joe, who was watching the battle closely from above. He noticed that Giselle's clique looked almost as anguished as she did, as they stared at the scene with tears falling from their eyes.

Ash walked over to the defeated Giselle. At first glance, part of him thought about leaving her like that. He felt like she deserved it. She'd treated him like he wasn't even human, and had tortured Joe for who knows how long. But then he came to his senses. He decided that regardless of how poorly she had treated him, or anybody else, he wouldn't stoop to her level of callous behavior. He held out a hand, silently offering to help her up on to her feet.

The girl felt his hand above her, as she looked up at him, tears were running down her cheeks. "Why would you help me? I treated you horribly and you beat me at my own game."

"Because I feel like," said Ash with a smile. "Now are you going to take my hand, or what!"

She gave him a kind smile for the first time, as she met his hand with her own. He pulled her up to her feet, meeting her face to face.

Joe watched as the two exchanged words, wondering what they could possibly be talking about.

"Do you know why I wanted to battle you?" asked Ash.

Giselle wiped the tears from her eyes, as she answered sarcastically. "To make me eat my own words?"

"Maybe a little bit," jested Ash. "But the real reason was because of Joe. The way you've been treating him just isn't right. I wanted to prove to you that social status, money, grades, statistics; those things alone don't make a good pokemon trainer. I'd be lying to you if I said that they don't help. But they can't be what defines you. There's a lot more to it then that."

A single tear fell from Giselle's brown right eye. "But what if those are the things that define me?"

Ash frowned. "I refuse to believe that. Everyone has good traits. Sometimes you just got to make an effort to find them."

And with those words, Ash walked away. He'd done all he could; the rest was up to her.

Giselle watched as he walked away, ruminating over what she had become. As he reached the steps that ascended out of the arena, she called out to him. "But how do I do that _Ash_?"

"That's for you figure out on your own,"said Ash. "But, if I could give you one piece of advice i'd say leave this place. Travel. See the world. That would be a good place to start."

Joe overheard the last bit of the conversation, which caused him to seriously rethink things. As Ash walked up the steps, he smiled. Thinking to himself that if traveling could make him like Ash, he'd be willing to tell his parents the truth.

Ash looked back at the reflecting Giselle one last time, before following Joe back outside the school.

With the problem finally resolved, it was time for Ash to hit the road again. With Joe's company, Ash left school grounds and headed back to the main route. The walk was relatively quiet, the dark haired boy could tell that Joe was mulling things over.

"Well I guess this is it," said Ash, as the time neared for the two new friends to say goodbye.

"Where are you off to?" asked Joe. "You never told me."

"Vermillion city," replied Ash. "I'm off to battle Lt. Surge!"

"Good luck. I've heard he's tough," heckled Joe. "For what it's worth I've never beat him on the schools' simulator."

"Good thing pokemon battles' aren't a _video game_," Ash snickered. "So what are you going to do? I have a feeling that things will be better at school for you after today."

Joe fiddled his thumbs, as he replied. "I think i'm going to take your advice and tell my parents the truth."

Ash grasped Joe on the shoulder playfully. "That's awesome! I hope everything goes well."

Joe smiled brightly. "Thanks Ash, I hope so too."

"I'm sure everything will be alright," said Ash. "Your parents obviously love you, especially if they saved up all that money to put you in this school in the first place."

Joe scratched the back of his head bashfully. "You sure are a positive guy Ash?"

"And you're a strong kid," said Ash. "And I look forward to meeting you again."

Joe reached out a hand to Ash. "Next time we meet, I hope that we are both great pokemon trainers."

Ash shook his new friend's hand with care. "I expect nothing less."

The two new friends said their final goodbyes, with hopes of seeing each other again some day.

XXX

Clefairy froze, as she heard something bustling around in the nearby brush. It was distracting, breaking the focus she needed to facilitate her thaumaturgic energy into her cells. Minimize was difficult enough when fully concentrated. The burdensome presence looming about wasn't making the technique any easier to learn. She shot her gaze in the direction of the noise, warranting her trainer'ts attention.

Ash used his eyes to follow the fairy-types line of sight. Something had peaked her interest, causing her to relinquish her meditation. Clefairy had been working extremely hard to figure out minimize the last couple of days. She wouldn't abandon concentration unless she had to.

That's when he saw it.

Peaking out of the brush was a wide bluish-green saurian-like face. Its piercing blood-red eyes glared at Ash for a split-second, before vanishing back into obscuration. Ash didn't waste anytime. This was a golden opportunity he couldn't let slip through his fingers. The dark-haired boy released Growlithe, who had been resting comfortably in his pokeball.

"We've got a pokemon to catch!" commanded Ash.

Both Clefairy and Growlithe followed at his hip, as he leaped through the hedge ungracefully. He broke through to the other side, just in time to see the grass-type's posterior bulb retreating in the distance. It used its retractable rope-like vines to hastily escape through the trees. Ash watched momentarily, thoroughly impressed by its innate ability to maneuver amidst the bristling woodlands. He quickly responded, releasing his pidgeotto to join the chase.

"Pidgeotto follow it!"

The flying-type surged into action, using its awe-inspiring aeronautical skills to maneuver through the thick woods. He spotted his target in the distance. It unconventionally used its vine-like appendages to propel itself at an astounding speed. Ash tried to visually keep up with the activity while ensuing at a heavy pace. He refused to let this great chance get away.

"Can you lock onto its scent Growlithe?" asked Ash gaspingly.

The pup reached out with his aromatic awareness. He could smell a plant-like aroma coming from the fleeing pokemon. He latched on, recording the scent in his internal almanac of pheromones.

Ash smiled as Growlithe gave him a firm bark, signifying that the job was done. The boy came to a gradual stop. Anymore more running would cause serious exhaustion. The chase no longer needed to be a sprint; they had the wild bulbasaur's scent. He would let it think that it got away, for now.

"Pidgeotto back to me!" bellowed Ash.

Pidgeotto frustratingly performed a wing-over, and returned to his panting trainer. The eluding grass-type disappeared into the deep woods, enshrouding itself into the grunginess of the busy habitat. Ash could tell his sadistic friend was disappointed. The flying-type loved a challenge, and the bulbasaur's unorthodox acrobatics was giving him a run for his money.

"Get over it," jested Ash. "There will be other chases."

Pidgeotto seemingly rolled his eyes and unexpectedly used his beak to tap the button of his pokeball attached to Ash's belt. He was blanketed in an array of ambient red light, as he quietly returned into concealment. Ash chuckled, he never would have guessed that his barbarous pidgeotto could be such a prima donna. He turned to his other two pokemon. They were giggling quietly to themselves at the ruffians unusual silent tantrum.

As the laughter subsided, the atmosphere of the situation settled on something a little more serious. Ash looked down at his fairy-type. "I need you out of your pokeball right now. Your hearing will be pivotal."

Clefairy nodded, understanding her role in the current task.

"Alright Growlithe," said Ash. "Time to follow the scent."

Growlithe followed orders and extended his aromatic awareness. It didn't take him long to zero in on the grass-type. Unlike at Mt. Moon, he had a reference scent. He pointed southwest; beckoning his trainer and comrade to shadow his lead.

They set off once again in pursuit of the rare wild bulbasaur. The deep woods were brimming with normal, grass, and bug-types. He had already spotted several oddish and a few of its drooling evolved form gloom. The trees were littered with dormant metapod, and although his eyes couldn't track them down, he could hear the lively chirping of a few pidgey.

As they followed the scent, Ash internalized the implications of this discovery. Bulbasaur used to be one of the three "_original_" Kanto-wide starters. But in recent years, they had been replaced by most league certified issuers. They were excruciatingly rare in the wild; approaching high levels of endangerment. There were specific sectioned off parts of the safari zone, north of Fuchsia City, treated as breeding grounds for the grass-type. They were the only pokemon illegal to capture within the reserves' perimeter.

The other two original Kanto starter's were still in widespread circulation. There were enough of them sprinkled throughout the wild to keep up the long-lasting tradition. Professor Oak was one of the only certified issuers in the region that had the type of pedigree needed to give a new trainer a bulbasaur. But as of late, even the good ol' professor had been forced to resort to giving away the foreign Johto region native chikorita, as a grass-type option.

Although it was worth taking into account, scarcity of its species wasn't what fueled his desire to catch the reptilian grass-type. Just like any other pokemon, his interest derived from a bulbasaur's potential. In comparison to other regions, Kanto was relatively dry when it came to quality grass-types. He had no interest in training a common belsprout, or oddish. He'd heard bad things about exeggcute rebelling against their trainers after evolution, and he didn't want one enough to deal with that kind of unruly behavior. Paras, which weren't even a primary grass-type, were basically just valuable for medicinal purposes. Which left tangela as his only viable choice, before running into the bulbasaur unexpectedly.

Catching this bulbasaur, could make a substantial difference in the strength of his team. He could groom it into a powerful grass-type, giving him a rare and useful asset throughout the rest of his travels. It would immediately give him the perfect monster to take on water, ground, and rock-types; which was something that his team currently lacked.

After a tedious walk, the bulbasaur's scent led them out of the brushwood, revealing a vast deep cavity in the center of the woods. It stretched horizontally as far as Ash could see, and at the bottom was a violent raging river. In front of them, laying across the chasm, was an old decrepit bridge. Ash wasn't quite sure just how aged it was, but it had definitely been there for a long time. He checked out the rope that was holding up the suspended planks of wood. From what he could tell it was still pretty sturdy, but he wasn't an expert. It would unquestionably be a risk to cross.

He looked down at his pokemon. "What do you guys think?"

Both pokemon shook their head left to right. It was a unanimous no.

He decided to go with an alternative approach. He returned Growlithe and Clefairy, requiring the lone service of Pidgeotto. Most pidgeotto trainers didn't have the luxury of being able to ride on their flying-type until it evolved. His pidgeotto made him an exception.

Upon release, Ash could tell that Pidgeotto was still sour over the way the chase had ended. Ash tried to make amends by gently running his fingers through Pidgeotto's plumage.

"Come on cheer up," pleaded Ash.

Pidgeotto tried to stay obstinate, but instead fell victim to the high-regard he had for his trainer. He softened his eyes to let Ash know that all had been forgiven.

Ash chuckled, before sharing his current need to Pidgeotto. The flying-type quickly agreed, having no problem with the idea of escorting his trainer to the other side of the gap. Pidgeotto bent over, allowing Ash to climb on his back.

Ash straddled the flying-type's muscular back for the first time. He used his hands to get a secure grasp around Pidgeotto's neck. It was severely uncomfortable. He swore that if he ever was to get serious about flying Pidgeotto, he would buy an adequate saddle. With one powerful flap of the avian's wings, they ascended. The incredible perceptual experience, positively conquered the harsh physical reality of riding Pidgeotto bareback. Ash took a big breath of fresh air; taking every tiny bit of the momentous moment in.

He stared down into the deep chasm. While looking down, it registered to him that he had put all of his faith into the flying-type. His life now depended on the wings of his comrade.

While crossing, Pidgeotto felt capable of anything. Something about having Ash with him as he quelled the skies invigorated him. The assurance he received while convoying his trainer, drowned out the straining physical task of hauling the seventy pound boy.

Unfortunately for both of them, it was a short trip. As Pidgeotto descended to the ground, he had to fight his strong desire to catapult himself back amongst the clouds.

As his flying-type's talons touched down, the boy had to quench his avidity to experience the skies more in-depth. At the moment, the hunt was a higher priority.

The boy carefully hopped off of his pidgeotto, and thankfully grazed the avian's feathers with his fingers. Ash grinned, as his usually crude pidgeotto happily chirped. It was a treat for the boy to witness Pidgeotto in such a happy-go-lucky mood.

"I'm glad you enjoyed that," said Ash. "When you evolve into a pidgeot, i'll buy you a saddle. Then we can go flying together all the time."

Pidgeotto trilled benevolently. The idea of being a valiant pidgeot; soaring through the heavens with Ash on his back excited him. He wanted it now, but figured his trainer had a reason for waiting.

Ash obviously knew that Pidgeotto was ready. It wasn't a matter of his ability. The problem was that Ash couldn't physically handle riding Pidgeotto bareback on a regular basis. And financially it didn't make sense for Ash to get Pidgeotto fitted for a saddle, only for him to outgrow it due to evolution.

Ash released Growlithe and Clefairy. They were delighted to see that Pidgeotto had delivered everyone safely across the downreaching crevasse.

The dark haired boy brought his attention back to Pidgeotto. "We have to start the search again, do you want to stay out?"

Pidgeotto nodded in response, proceeding to take to the skies. He flew around in circles above Ash, patiently anticipating the search.

Ash eyed Growlithe. "Do you have the scent?"

Growlithe yapped a short affirmative; he had already cinched back onto the bulbasaur's fragrance.

"Let's go then," said Ash. "It's starting to get dark."

The dark haired boy, and his three pokemon, reignited the forage. As they plunged back into the woodlands, Growlithe took the lead, beckoning the rest of the team towards the direction of the scent's source. They heedlessly followed, while leaving the difficult job of tracking down the bulbasaur, to the puppy's exceptional olfactory glands.

They trekked through the bosk. As the light from the sun gradually started to fade, the habitats' active pokemon rotated. The woodland's nocturnal species began to awaken, while the day-light inhabitants slowly veered out of sight. Ash observed his surroundings, numerous pink glowing eyes could be spotted from within the thickets.

Ash activated dexter. "_Venonat- the insect pokemon. Its big eyes are actually clusters of tiny eyes. At night, its kind is drawn by light. It lives in the shadows of tall trees, where it eats bugs." _Ash figured as much. This part of the region was littered with venonat and venomoth. The insect pokemon was known to be relatively docile, but the way their eyes flickered as it became dark looked foreboding.

They tried their best to ignore the bountiful fuchsia colored eyes, existing amongst the darkest parts of the brushwood. As they continued to immerse themselves deeper into the woods, Ash noticed that Growlithe's behavior was becoming antsy. They were close. It was the same way he had reacted when they neared Pidgeotto back in the Viridian Forest.

Ash and Clefairy, continued to lag behind the pup from the ground. Pidgeotto followed inaudibly from the skies. Ash had almost forgotten that the bird of prey was outside of his pokeball; the avian had done such a good job of faintly concealing his presence.

Ash looked down to find the black tips on Clefairy's ears, jittering wildly. "Do you hear it?"

The fairy pokemon gestured a yes with her body language. She was capable of recognizing a being's signature movement pattern. Most pokemon move entirely different from one another, thus making Clefairy's sense of hearing a unique and adaptable tracking method.

Ash watched, as Growlithe peaked his head through a large baggy hedge. He turned back excited, beckoning Ash and Clefairy to follow him through the briar. They did as signaled; tumultuously penetrating the hedge, while covering up their faces. Ash received a couple of irritating scratches, while bustling through the brush. Clefairy managed to follow Ash through relatively unscathed.

On the other side of the hedge, was a decently sized gap in the area. In the center of the glade rested a glistening clear pond. Dwelling around the natural pool, were numerous resting pokemon. Some were asleep, but most of them were astir, lounging about amidst the lush green grass. Some of the pokemon detected Ash, but for whatever reason chose to ignore him. They were mostly in their primary forms; he saw a staryu, a few ratatta, a couple of oddish, multiple paras, and some belsprout. The lone evolved chunky yellow weepinbell laid out lazily. It soaked up the last bit of sunlight as the sun continued to gradually set.

Occupying a part of the clearings' space was a small wooden cabin. The dwelling was nestled in on the opposite side of the basin across from Ash. The small glass windows were illuminated from the inside-out, signifying that the cabin was inhabited. Ash seized the lead; gesturing Growlithe and Clefairy to follow. He waved his arms to catch Pidgeotto's attention, once he had it, he motioned to the avian to stay put. He watched as Pidgeotto nodded from above, the flying-type continued his cycle of repetitively circling the skies overhead.

Ash led his two land-pokemon around the natural pool, and over to the small cabin. He could feel the looming gaze of several pokemon behind him, as he knocked on the cabin door. Ash had yet to spot the bulbasaur, so his guess was that it was inside of the small structure. He hoped that the random spa-like clearing was some type of wild pokemon hideaway. He didn't want to accept the possibility that the bulbasaur could belong to another trainer. The door slowly creaked open, just a sliver.

"Who is it?" asked a trembling female voice, from the other side of the door.

Ash should have guessed. They were out in the middle of nowhere. The owner of the cabin probably wasn't used to getting visitors, especially at this time of night. By the sound of her voice, he could tell she was spooked by his unexpected arrival.

"Just a traveler," replied the boy. "I'm looking for a bulbasaur. We tracked it back to this cabin after we spotted it watching us train."

"You saw Bulbasaur aye," said the girl. "And who's we?"

Ash internally applauded the girls cautiousness. "_We_, is my pokemon and me."

She hesitantly opened the door a little more. "What kind of pokemon?"

Ash smiled, he could tell she was curious. "I've got a growlithe, pidgeotto, and a clefairy."

The door abruptly swung open.

Ash was finally able to get a good look at the teenage girl. She was petite, with a gorgeous innocent face. Her eyes were a tranquil blue, matching her hair; it was carefully braided into a long pony-tail, accessorized with a light jade-green bow. She wore conservative pink overalls over a crimson red t-shirt.

"Did you say Cle-?" stuttered the girl, as she noticed the little pink fairy-type. "How did you-?"

Ash chuckled; seeing the confused look on Clefairy's face. The young fairy-type had obviously never been filled in on how incredibly rare she was.

"Mt. Moon," stated Ash. "It's a long story."

She nodded astonishingly. "I bet, they're one of the rarest pokemon in all of Kanto. They're about as hard to find as a snorlax, or dratini."

"Yup," stated Ash guilelessly, ready to change the subject. "I'm Ash Ketchum, what's your name?"

The girl smiled; she could tell the boy didn't warrant any trouble. "My name's Melanie, the owner of this wild-pokemon spa."

Ash internally celebrated. The random glade was what he had hoped it to be. "So all of the pokemon here are wild?"

"They sure are," said Melanie. "This place acts as a safe haven for injured or wild pokemon. I'm a pokemon doctor. I do whatever I can to nurse any wild pokemon back to health, whether the damage is physical, or psychological.

Ash gave the admirable girl a friendly smile.

"That's so cool," said Ash. "The wild needs more people willing to do helpful things like that."

She slightly blushed at the praise.

"Thank you," she replied. " I'm afraid I spend most of my time without human contact. So it's very seldom that anyone recognizes my work; it's rather flattering actually."

"I bet," chuckled Ash. "If you don't mind me asking, is the bulbasaur I tracked yours'?"

She shook her head left and right. "No, he's not. Bulbasaur's been here longer than any other pokemon though; probably around a couple of years now. Usually pokemon are in and out, but he has been a special case."

"What's wrong with him?" asked Ash, before politely rephrasing his question. "I mean, what happened to him?"

She sighed. "It's quite a story, if you really want to hear it, come on in."

"I think I'll take you up on that offer," stated Ash.

The boy returned Pidgeotto from the skies, before following Melanie inside the cabin. She didn't seem to mind Growlithe and Clefairy coming inside, so he chose to not say anything and just let it happen.

The cabins' interior was a small quaint single room. It reminded him of the trainer hostiles at the pokemon center. The only considerable difference was the small kitchen in the back corner, as well as the table space probably used mostly for meals. The kitchen reminded Ash just how hungry he was. The boy hadn't eaten anything since lunch, which was quite sometime ago.

Melanie must have noticed him eyeing the kitchen, because it didn't take long for her to kindly offer to feed Ash and his pokemon. The boy couldn't say no, he hadn't had a hot meal for about a weak. His pokemon deserved a good dinner as well. Since she was a pokemon doctor she probably had all types of specialized food.

She opened up a large cellar door, hidden underneath a welcoming rug that Ash had failed to notice upon entrance. Inside were hundreds of jars of pokemon food, as well as different kinds of medicinal herbs. Melanie lifted out two different jars of pokemon food, and placed them on the floor outside of the underground storage compartment. Ash watched as she carried the jars over to the table. He had offered to help, but she declined his services.

"Why two?" asked Ash.

"Different pokemon, prefer different food," she said. "Besides, not all pokemon benefit from the same nutrients."

Ash listened intently, as she pointed at one of the jars.

"This is my fire-type mix," stated the girl. "Hopefully Growlithe likes it. He'll be the first to try it; mostly because of the serious lack of fire pokemon in these parts."

She walked over to the kitchen and opened up a cabinet. From inside she retrieved a couple of decent sized bowls, and brought them over to the table.

She then pointed at the other jar of pokemon food. "This is my fairy-type mix."

Ash interrupted. "Why make fairy-type food, when they're typing is so rare?"

"To be honest it's just standard pokemon food," she giggled bashfully. "From the research that i've done, my assumption is that it's the best kind of food for pure fairy-types."

Ash eyed his currently salivating clefairy. Her silly quirk finally made sense, no wonder she loved the stuff so much.

Melanie proceeded to dish up the pokemon food, before serving both Growlithe and Clefairy. She let the pokemon get a quick head start, before walking back over to the tiny kitchen to cook up something for Ash. She whipped him up a hot bowl of steamed rice and tofu, before sitting down at the table while he ate. The ten-year old boy felt like he was in heaven, as he scarfed down the euphoric bowl of food that the beautiful girl had cooked for him.

Ash thoroughly thanked Melanie, before something precipitously popped into his head. "So where is the bulbasaur? I didn't seen him out by the pond."

"He hangs out in the surrounding trees," said Melanie. "He's taken it upon himself to protect the spa while he's here; so he stays in the trees where he can see everything."

She paused. "I'm actually surprised he let you onto the property."

Ash eyed Melanie curiously. "Can you tell me bulbasaur's story now?"

She nodded, with a slight hint of sorrow. "I will tell you as much as I know. I can tell you have taken an interest in him."

Ash nodded, affirming her speculation.

"Like I said earlier, bulbasaur has been here longer than any other pokemon," said Melanie. "A couple of years ago, I found an egg somewhere south of here, relatively close-by."

Ash listened fixedly.

She grimaced, before continuing. "It was buried right next to two dead ivysaur."

Ash sadly gulped, barely getting out words. "Its parents?"

She nodded painfully, as a few tears dribbled from her eyes. "They were scorched by fire; the large pink buds on their backs had been severed and taken."

Ash felt sick to his stomach, as he mumbled. "Who would do something like that?"

She ran her fingers through her own hair, as she replied. "I have no idea, probably poachers. It had to be done by humans, because of the missing bulbs. There are numerous myths that suggest that the bulb on the back of the bulbasaur line can be used to somehow create an elixir of everlasting life."

"Is that why the species has become nearly extinct," growled Ash. "Because of some twisted fairy tale."

Melanie frowned. "I'm afraid so. There have always been laws in place to forbid this kind of inhuman activity. But throughout history, there have always been disgusting power-hungry people that would rather live forever, than preserve their own morality."

Clefairy and Growlithe couldn't finish their food. The story had already caused them to lose their appetites.

"After stumbling upon such a gruesome scene, my first impulse was to run away," said Melanie. "I can still remember the smell, it was atrocious."

"Why didn't you?" asked Ash.

Melanie took a deep breath, before continuing. "It was just so sad. I felt like they deserved a proper burial."

Ash frowned, he couldn't imagine how hard that must have been for the teenage girl.

"I went back to my cabin to get a shovel," murmured Melanie. "I couldn't move the bodies too far by myself, so I dug the grave right next to where they laid."

Growlithe exhaled a quiet cry, obviously disturbed.

"That's when I found it," said Melanie. "Buried in the same spot his parents would be put to rest, was bulbasaur's egg."

Ash wanted to cry. The world could be sickening.

"I obviously took him home," said the blue haired girl. "I couldn't just leave him there. A couple of months later he hatched. My plan was to raise him until he was old enough to go back into the wild, but no matter how many times I've sent him away, he always comes back. A bulbasaur's bulb can't grow in a place like this. He needs to see the world."

Ash nodded, understanding the girl. "Is there a reason he insists on staying."

"Well I think I know, but I can't really prove it or anything," she replied. "Researchers believe a pokemon egg is able to process things that happen on the outside. Most pokemon are born already having memories. Memories that have been accumulated while in their embryonic state. Bulbasaur however, had none. "

"How do you know?" asked Ash curiously.

She placed her hand on her chin. "Pokemon are born with an instinctual skill set. They usually already know a couple of techniques, as well as all of their essential life skills. Bulbasaur was born knowing nothing. I had to teach him what he was, how to eat, how to use his body, how to learn his natural skill set. He was a complete blank canvas; we had to start from scratch."

"But how is that possible?" asked a bewildered Ash.

"I don't know for sure," moaned Melanie. "But, I think it's because of embryonic trauma."

"Embryonic what?" asked Ash confusedly.

Melanie sighed. "Embryonic trauma, is a condition that happens when something catastrophic takes place during a pokemon's rudimentary development. It is a defense mechanism that protects a pokemon from heinous memories, before they are ready to process them."

Ash slightly understood. "So bulbasaur essentially forgot everything, in order to survive."

"It's not that simple," frowned Melanie. "In most cases of trauma, the horrific memories will surface as the pokemon grows. For this reason, I had to do something."

"What did you do?" asked Ash. "How could you possibly prevent something like that from happening?"

"I can't prevent _this_ from happening," said Melanie. "I'm a doctor, _not_ God."

Ash, gave her a quizzical look. "If you can't prevent it, how can you help?"

She smiled, as a tear crawled down her cheek. "I had to tell him about all of the good things us humans can do. I was afraid that if his embryonic memories came back before he had a foundation of understanding, they would consume him in hatred. I told him about pokemon trainers; how they work to make pokemon better and happier. I shared with him good hearted human-qualities, and what people with integrity behave like. I taught him the difference between good, and evil."

Ash scratched his head; it was a lot to process. "So how does all of this play into the fact that Bulbasaur won't leave?"

"Ever since he was little, he's loved the stories i've shared with him about pokemon trainers," said the girl. "It's just a hunch, but I think he's been waiting for the right one."

Ash listened carefully at what Melanie had to say next.

"You're not the first trainer that has stopped by here, looking for Bulbasaur," admitted Melanie. "But you are the first trainer that he's let inside of the cabin."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

She smirked. "Bulbasaur's been known to scout out pokemon trainers. If he doesn't like them, he gets the other Pokemon to help him chase them away."

"And if he likes them?" asked Ash."

"I don't know," stated Melanie. "But I guess we'll find out, since you're the first trainer he's ever let in here."

Ash moronically pointed at himself. "Wait, does that mean he likes me?"

The blue haired beauty laughed. "I think so. Do you want to find out for sure?"

Ash gave her a toothy grin. "Of course I do!"

The pokemon doctor stood up from her chair. "It's settled then, let's go find Bulbasaur!"

Ash, Growlithe, and Clefairy excitedly followed Melanie out of the cabin. The sun was now completely out of view; it was stunning to see the reflection of the moon and stars, exquisitely depicted across the ponds' clear-water canvas.

The pokemon that were still awake, got up from their resting spots, eager to greet Melanie. The land pokemon traveled around the basin from where they were previously situated. The water pokemon swam over to her, some even emerging from the depths of the pond. Ash watched in amazement. It was obvious that the wild pokemon adored the teenage doctor.

"You guys are too sweet," spoke the beautiful girl. "Have you seen Bulbasaur?"

The crowd of pokemon asked amongst themselves. They didn't need to confer for very long. Bulbasaur revealed himself; using vine whip to swing down from a nearby tree. The saurian landed in front of the confluence. Its resplendent red eyes darted back and fourth between Ash and Melanie. It then eyed Growlithe and Clefairy. Bulbasaur seemed to be evaluating them, at least that's what Ash assumed. The grass-type scanned them assiduously from top to bottom, obviously intrigued.

Clefairy didn't mind. Growlithe however, didn't like it. Something about the reptiles bright red eyes creeped him out. He snarled, only to receive a sudden yielding hand gesture from Ash.

"This is Ash," said Melanie. "He's a pokemon trainer."

Bulbasaur used its four legs, to cautiously draw closer to Ash. The dark-haired boy observed, as the plant pokemon's eyes shifted from a cold icy stare, to a more gentle warm gaze. Ash leaned over, reminiscent of how he approached his initial encounter with Growlithe.

He reached out a hand to pat Bulbasaur's head. "Nice to meet you Bulbasaur, you gave us quite the chase back there."

The saurian hesitated, before dipping its head, allowing Ash to pet behind its short stubby ears. Ash smiled, he could tell Bulbasaur was trying to give him a chance.

"I think he likes you," crooned Melanie, before bringing her attention to Bulbasaur. "Ash is a very kind boy Bulbasaur. He loves pokemon, and would make a great trainer. I think you should consider becoming part of his team."

Ash blushed; he wasn't the best at handling compliments. He looked at Bulbasaur with warm inviting eyes. "What do you say Bulbasaur? Do you want me to help that bulb on your back blossom?"

Bulbasaur's red eyes seemed to set ablaze with enthusiasm, before abruptly settling into a realm of focus. He muttered a few things in his native tongue directed towards Melanie.

Melanie concentrated her focus, in attempt to interpret what Bulbasaur was saying.

"I see; that seems appropriate," replied Melanie. "But let's wait until tomorrow morning, right now it's way to dark."

"What's he saying?" asked Ash, in a confused manner.

"He wants a battle," stated Melanie. "I suggested that we wait until tomorrow morning, when there is light. If you win, he'll go with you."

"Is that true Bulbasaur, you want a battle?" asked Ash.

The reptilian grass-type nodded his head, while muttering something in his language.

"If a battle is what you want, a battle is what you'll get," retorted Ash. "Tomorrow morning it is."

Bulbasaur flashed Ash a look of determination. The boy could tell that the saurian wasn't going to make things easy for him.

Melanie laughed joyfully; she had been waiting for something like this to happen for quite sometime. Her eyes watered bit by bit, at the sight of an answered prayer.

XXX

The sun was up; the immaculate light it emitted glistened atop the pond's cerulean surface. The spas' pokemon motioned about, taking part in their daily activities. Ash tightly rolled up his sleeping bag next to the basin. Melanie had offered him an opportunity to stay inside, but he preferred sleeping on the soft natural grass, instead of the hard wood flooring.

The puppy pokemon helped him stuff the sleeping bag inside of the backpack. Ash had explained to him a couple of days ago, that his backpack worked similar to a pokeball. It could carry way more than its outer appearance suggested, due to some strange technology that shrunk the items inside. The only drawback was that it couldn't manipulate an item's weight. Apparently, it had something to do with the properties associated with non-living matter.

"Are you ready for your battle with Bulbasaur?" asked a friendly female voice. "He's been up since the crack of dawn. I told him he had to let you sleep though."

Ash turned around to find Melanie and Bulbasaur casually approaching him. The dark haired-boy readjusted his hat, before answering. "I'm ready whenever you are Bulbasaur!"

Now that the sun was out, and there was an ample amount of light, Ash was able to get a good look at the saurian grass-type. If he had to guess, it was approximately two-feet tall, which was a pretty typical height for a bulbasaur. His skin was bluish-green; Ash had failed to notice until now the dark blotchy spots of brunswick green, randomly scattered across his skin. The plant-pokemon's two short stubby ears, were relatively proportional to his compact snout. Ash wasn't positive, but the green bulb on Bulbasaur's back looked to be significantly larger than normal.

"I would like for you guys to have your battle over there," said Melanie, as she pointed across the basin. "There's more space, and it's far enough away from the cabin."

Ash nodded his head in agreement. "What do you say Bulbasaur, are you ready?"

The squamata reptile grunted his approval. He looked Ash in the eyes, determined to give him a good battle.

Ash, Growlithe, Bulbasaur, and Melanie, traipsed over to where the battle would take place. Ash released Pidgeotto and Clefairy, so that they could watch. Both pokemon had been enshrouded in their pokeballs; they both prefer to get their rest through suspended animation.

"One-on-one!" shouted Ash. "Growlithe's my choice!"

Bulbasaur prepared himself for combat. His scarlet red eyes were fixated on Ash and the fire-type.

Growlithe swaggered forward, ready to take on the red-eyed grass-type. He snarled at his opponent, displaying that he was prepared to engage.

Bulbasaur took the initiative. He charged forward, in preparation for a tackle attack. The grass-type rapidly gained ground; its short stubby legs moved at an expeditious pace. Growlithe waited patiently in preparation to counter. When Bulbasaur got close he hurriedly dodged to the right. Growlithe proceeded to propel from his maw a single ember; it darted through the air at a tremendous rate.

The saurian responded impulsively. He used his vines, and powerfully deflected them against the ground. The unorthodox technique launched him into the air, allowing him to narrowly avoid the ember attack.

The puppy pokemon unleashed a barrage of feverous ember into the air. Growlithe's artifice was to land a blow, while Bulbasaur was defenseless overhead.

Relying on his reputable instincts, Bulbasaur used his vine whip to latch onto an adjacent tree. The grass-type was able to quickly schlepp himself out of the way. He managed to avoid taking the brunt of the attack, however a lone ember managed to clip his side, causing him to wince. Ash was impressed. The bulbasaur had great instincts; he was impulsively aware of how to react under cross-fire.

The plant-pokemon used his elongated retractable vines to swing around the tree. The momentum he gained was alarming, as he catapulted himself towards the fire-type.

"Dodge!" bellowed Ash.

Growlithe parried the blow. He used his advantageous speed to briskly pivot around the airborne bulbasaur. Bulbasaur reacted instantaneously; he used his bulb to emit a violet cloud, as he passed by Growlithe through the air.

The condensed poison-powder eclipsed Growlithe, showering the pup with highly toxic fumes. The puppy Pokemon gratingly barked, it was clear that the poison had caused him to be uncomfortable.

Ash focused on the battle. He didn't have much time now that Growlithe had been poisoned. "Bite/ember combo!"

The puppy Pokemon sprung into action. He leaped forward towards Bulbasaur with intention to clamp on. The grass-type howled, as Growlithe sunk his teeth right below the saurian's bulb. Bulbasaur mobilized his vines, preparing to bring them down on his aggravating opponent.

Growlithe didn't give him an opportunity, fighting through the poison, he inflamed Bulbasaur with a point blank ember. The grass-type shrilled, feeling the full extent of the type-disadvantage. As Growlithe let go, Bulbasaur folded. He hadn't succumbed to unconsciousness, but he was substantially damaged. The grass-type's knees wobbled, as he tried his best to stay standing.

Melanie frowned; as much as she respected and understood a pokemon's inherit need to battle, being a doctor made It hard to watch at times. Especially, when one of the competitors was a pokemon that she loved.

Ash hastily unclipped an empty pokeball from his belt. Bulbasaur had been weakened enough; it wasn't necessary to battle until unconsciousness. He cast the pokeball, and watched as it made contact with a stunned Bulbasaur. The saurian grass-type was engulfed in a fulgent red-light that extracted him into the pokeball. It fell to the ground, proceeding to rattle combatively back and forth. It shook five tedious times, before coming to climactic stop. The sphere clicked; disclosing a successful capture.

Melanie watched as Ash congratulated Growlithe, before he cantered over to her old friend's new pokeball. She brightly grinned, she hadn't felt this happy in a long time.

Ash turned to face the radiant Melanie, after picking up Bulbasaur's pokeball. He reciprocated her smile, before speaking. "Melanie, do you mind treating Growlithe and Bulbasaur before we leave?"

"Of course not!" replied Melanie. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Ash returned Pidgeotto and Clefairy, before following Melanie back into her cabin. The dark-haired boy gently pet his puppy pokemon, as Melanie ground together various medicinal herbs; in order to create an antidote that would cure Growlithe's poison. After tending to Growlithe by successfully exterminating the toxin, Ash returned him. Growlithe needed a good rest in suspended animation, to help quicken the recovery process.

Although Bulbasaur was worse off during the battle, his treatment took a lot less time than Growlithe's. Melanie used a league formulated burn-heal, to instantly cure the mild scorch marks on his back and side. The tiny incisions from Growlithe's bite, were healed without difficulty by one of Ash's potions.

Now that both pokemon were treated, it was time to hit the road. Since Growlithe was recovering, Ash left Bulbasaur out of his pokeball. It would be a good opportunity to bond. Melanie walked them towards the edge of the glade, the spa's pokemon followed, looking to see off their friend .

"Well Bulbasaur I guess this is it," said Melanie. "Make me proud out there."

The saurian held back tears, as he nestled his head affectionately up against Melanie's leg. Her eyes watered joyfully, it was hard to say goodbye to her little warrior. But it was for the best.

"Next time I see you, I hope that you're a big strong venusaur," said Melanie. "With a beautiful blossomed flower sprouting from your back."

Bulbasaur nodded, accepting his adopted mother's passive-aggressive challenge.

"Take good care of him Ash," she said. "And _please_, remember what we talked about last night."

"He's in great hands," replied Ash. "And when the time comes, i'll make sure he remembers who you taught him to be."

She benevolently smiled. "You're a great kid, you know that?"

Ash scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Thanks, I try and do the best I can."

Melanie gave Bulbasaur and Ash each a big hug, before saying her final goodbyes. "Please stop by again someday. I'd love to see how much you guys grow together."

Ash and Bulbasaur promised her that they would, before setting off.

The saurian grass-type looked back once, watching the only home he had ever known fade away in the distance.

Ash looked down at his quiet friend. "We'll come back and see her again one day. And when we do, you'll be a force to be reckoned with."

Bulbasaur smirked, as anticipation boiled deep within his spirit.

XXX

To be continued

XXX

A/N: Well here's Kanto 2. This one has taken me quite a while. Like I said last chapter expect one once a month. I'll post something on the bio page if I'm going to miss a month. I'm aiming for the 14th of every month, so don't send an "update soon" review until after the 14th. I will not update before then. If I finish the chapter early it gives me an opportunity to get ahead in my writing and I can edit a bunch. Think of it like a manga my otaku friends. I'm just trying to make sure that what I put out is quality, and not crap. Thank you for reading my story and reviewing it. Please continue to review, I really appreciate it. If you have any questions you can P.M. me.

Much love, _vincentgrey21._


	3. Kanto 3

Kanto 3: Essence

"Do you miss it?" asked Ash, curiously.

His fairy-type looked up at him in a confused manner. Her wings glowed, as she absorbed a small concentration of lunar essence from the alluring full moon.

"Mt. Moon… do you miss it?"

Clefairy shook her head left to right, after comprehending her trainer.

"Really, what about your parents?" questioned the boy, with an amiable under-tone.

Clefairy darted her eyes in the direction of the sleeping grass-type. There's no way she would show emotional weakness in front of her new comrade.

"Don't worry about him, he's out cold," chuckled Ash. "Since Growlithe's still recovering, Bulbasaur's been traveling with me all day…seems his first day away from the spa wore him out."

The fairy-type sighed; it was obvious that her trainer was fishing for vulnerability. She trusted him, and since the saurian was asleep she decided to comply. She nodded her head affirmatively, signifying that she did in fact miss her parents.

Ash frowned. "You know, I've never really known my dad. But before I left on my journey, I had never gone a single day without seeing my mom."

Clefairy listened intently.

"For the majority of my life it was just me and my mom," said Ash. "We did just fine, she's a bit nosy and kind of over-the-top sometimes, but I love her."

The dark-haired boy gazed at the beautiful moon, as he reflected aloud. "And no matter how far apart we are that'll never change."

He looked Clefairy in the eyes with care. "I can't ever replace your parents, but I'll try and do my best to care for you in a similar way."

Clefairy processed her trainers' words. The moonstone definitely had answered her prayers.

Her trainer was so thoughtful. She missed her family, but she was sure that Ash would do a great job of filling a similar role in her life. Ash was right, he could never replace her parents, but she looked forward to finding out what it was like to have a wise older brother.

"We're building a family Clefairy," said Ash. "I'm glad that you're a part of it."

The fairy-type smiled, as she filled the capacity of her wings. She had always wanted to see the world; that gift by itself was enough to make her happy. The fact that she had gained a family in the process was something she would always cherish.

"I don't know how long you'll be the only girl around," said Ash. "But in the meantime, I need your feminine perspective."

The dark haired boy scratched the back of his head sheepishly, including himself in his comment. "Boys can be a little careless sometimes."

Clefairy lightly chuckled, before nodding to her trainer. She would do the best she could to provide a cushion for their impulsiveness.

They sat at the campsite in silence for a while. Ash and his Clefairy stared out at the full moon entrancingly. They say happiness will come to those that see a Clefairy under a full moon, but the one that was overjoyed was the precious fairy-type.

XXX

"That's it!" hollered an excited Ash. "Now let's try it one more time at full power!"

Pidgeotto keenly focused from above. He measured out the perfect amount of draconic-energy, before actualizing an immense whirlwind. With the use of both wings, he merged the two powers together. The fusion of elements created a menacing purple-tinted tornado; it roared like a freight train, before finally fizzling out in mid-air. The result was satisfying. All of their hard work had finally come into fruition.

…Twister had been mastered.

The rest of the team howled in celebration. Growlithe and Clefairy knew how hard the bird had been working the past couple of weeks. Bulbasaur had only been around for a couple of days, but that didn't matter. The grass-type was no stranger to the arduous chore of mastering a new skill.

The morning had been productive. Pidgeotto was the last participant of four one-on-one training sessions.

He had worked with Bulbasaur first. At some point during the past couple days of travel, Ash had used his pokedex to figure out Bulbasaur's current move-set and ability. The squamata reptile was relatively balanced. He knew two physical attacks, in tackle and vine-whip. From what Ash had seen over the past couple of days, the grass-type was extremely talented with the ladder. Bulbasaur also was the bearer of three status altering techniques. He had great control over his leech-seed and growl; in addition, his poison powder was extremely potent.

The seed pokemon's _ability_ was extremely rare. Most bulbasaur were born with the ability overgrow, which is a status boosting condition that activates when the carrier is pushed to exhaustion. Ash's Bulbasaur, however had an unusual ability called chlorophyll. According to the pokedex, roughly three-percent of the species was born with it. Apparently, chlorophyll uses the light from the sun to create an organic steroid in its bulb. It then facilitates the steroid into its leg muscles, doubling its speed. This explained why Bulbasaur was uncommonly agile compared to the rest of his breed. It also would be a massive help as Bulbasaur grew; Venusaur weren't normally praised for their mobility.

Since Bulbasaur had satisfactory control over his entire current move-set, Ash spent their time together learning two new techniques. The first was sleep-powder. Bulbasaur's species definitely had a strong physical prowess, but their true strength lied in their bulb. The seed pokemon's evolutionary line was known for being able to manipulate status conditions at ease. The numerous biological chemicals, brewing within its bulb, gave the species a lot of options entailing learnable status techniques.

Ash figured sleep-powder was a good and easy way to start tapping into that potential. By the end of their session, Bulbasaur had a good idea of what chemicals he needed to mix together, in order to create a potent sleep inducing fragrance. It was still far from finished though, finding the right measurement for each ingredient would take some time.

The other technique they worked on was _takedown_. Ash wasn't a huge fan of attacks that caused recoil because of their unpredictability. However, Bulbasaur needed a stronger non-elemental physical attack, and _takedown_ would be quick to learn. It was basically a more reckless form of tackle, so there wasn't all that much to teach. He figured Bulbasaur would have it down fairly soon.

Ash's time with Growlithe was highly beneficent. The fire-type had finally recovered from the poison, and was fresh from all of the rest he had gotten the past couple of days. The puppy pokemon was still ironing out flame-wheel. At this point, there was really nothing Ash could do to help. From a technical stand point Growlithe was exceeding expectations. All of the trouble they were having was completely based on experience and power. Growlithe was the youngest of his pokemon, and in the category of _pure_ strength it showed. Bit by bit his inner-flame was growing, Ash just had to be patient. Growlithe's elemental techniques would come into their own with growth. In the meantime all they could do was grind.

Clefairy still had her hands full with minimize. Her grip on her _thaumaturgic_ energy was getting better. She was now capable of drawing it in to her cells, which was great progress. The struggle now was entirely control related. She needed to figure out how to manipulate and maintain. Shifting the amount of reduction took a tremendous amount of concentration. Maintaining a stable reduction was absolutely exhausting, because of the necessary continual flow of _thaumaturgic_ energy required to sustain.

Ash was very pleased with Pidgeotto. Now that he had successfully mastered twister, he could move on. Ash would give Pidgeotto the rest of the day to celebrate his triumphant victory over the elemental attack. Tomorrow they would begin learning the tedious technique feather-dance; a bizarre status move that covers an opponent in a mass of molted down feathers to soften their physical attacks.

Ash signaled Pidgeotto to come down from the skies. He personally applauded the avian on the brilliant display, before addressing his team. "Good work this morning guys. I don't know about you but I'm starving, how about some lunch?"

…There were no complaints.

Ash raked through his bag. He prepared all of his friends their bowls of pokemon food, before whipping together an easy meal of dried fruit and nuts for himself. Ash was still trying to figure out the whole cooking thing. Right now, he had no way of keeping meals frozen, so he had to live purely off of dried food. During his next trip to a city, he planned on picking up some rice and oatmeal, that way he could put together some more satisfying meals.

As they ate, Ash watched how his friends interacted. Bulbasaur was fitting right in. Clefairy and Growlithe both got along extremely well with the grass-type. The two more level-headed pokemon appreciated Bulbasaur's desire to get stronger. Unlike Pidgeotto, they had heard his story. They knew what kind of challenges the saurian would face.

Pidgeotto, however, enjoyed Bulbasaur for an entirely different reason. Whenever they had free time the two new comrades would play a game of tag. Bulbasaur loved to use his vines to hastily evade the flying-type. Pidgeotto simply enjoyed the mock hunt. Ash didn't mind it either. It allowed Pidgeotto to release his instinctual desires as a bird-of-prey in a much more placid way. Besides, Bulbasaur actually enjoyed the thrill. It was the perfect stress relief.

"Alright, so we are a little bit more than half way there," said Ash.

The dark-haired boy showed his four pokemon a map of Kanto that was programmed into his pokedex.

"That blinking red dot is us," said Ash, as he pointed at the screen. "I'd guess we have a little bit more than a week left of travel before we reach Vermillion City.

Ash's pokemon concentrated and observed, trying to follow what their trainer was telling them.

"You see this pink dot," said Ash, as he pointed. "That's a pokemon center. If we get moving soon, we should be able to make it before dark."

Ash's eyes lit up. "A nice meal and a shower sounds awfully great right about now."

His pokemon were sold. A well-deserved trip to a pokemon center was just what they needed. Their sore bodies were screaming for Nurse Joy's restoration machine. They finished up their meals and began their pursuit. It was time for a quick pit-stop

XXX

Ash looked atop the large boulder. He frantically checked his pokedex to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"_Charmander (the lizard pokemon) -The flame at the tip of its tail indicates its emotions. The flame wavers when Charmander is enjoying itself. If the pokemon becomes enraged, the flame burns fiercely. It is also an indicator of the lizard pokemon's life force. If it is weak, the flame on its tail will burn weakly"_

The recently confirmed charmander lied on top of the stone peculiarly. It was curled up in a ball; the flame on the tip of its tail was less than mundane. Its orange body was battered and bruised, and its cream-colored belly looked pale. The bipedal lizard's short stubby arms were fidgeting, and its eyes were shut.

Ash's chest tightened; he had a bad feeling about this. "Growlithe go check on it!"

The puppy pokemon sprang into action. He quickly grappled the big rock and closely examined his fellow fire-type. Ash watched, as Growlithe nudged the charmander multiple times. There was no response. The puppy pokemon yelped at his trainer. Ash could tell by Growlithe's reaction that they had a serious problem.

The ten-year old boy frantically scaled the rough stone. At a closer vantage point, Ash could clearly see the severity of the situation. The charmander was in critical condition; they had to act quickly.

He returned Growlithe and released Pidgeotto onto the ground with no time to waste. He thought about applying a potion, but came to the conclusion that it wouldn't help. The charmander needed a trained professional. He gently picked up the battered lizard pokemon, before facing Pidgeotto.

"I need a ride right now!" commanded Ash. "It doesn't have much time!"

Pidgeotto prepared for impact as Ash jumped from atop the boulder onto his back. Ash painfully grimaced in response to the recoil of the impulsive stunt. The charmander fidgeted in his arms - it didn't respond well to the sudden movement.

…Ash didn't have a choice though. If they didn't hurry - it would die.

The distressed boy desperately pointed south. "That way as fast as you can go without killing us! Look for a pokemon center, it should be close!"

Ash used one arm to hang on to Pidgeotto's neck and the other to carry the charmander. He ignored the pain, as he burned his dominant hand while trying to secure its tail-flame. It was the only way to keep his avian from being slowly cooked.

The raptor-like avian launched itself into the air like a breakneck jet. Ash's cheeks rippled in response to the high accelerated climb. He desperately clung to Pidgeotto, while enduring the grinding affliction of riding without a saddle. He couldn't look out at his surroundings. The dark-haired boy had to focus on hanging on to the lizard pokemon.

…His trust had to lie with Pidgeotto's keen eyes.

The charmander convulsed; Ash worried that he didn't have much time before the little guy entered cardiac arrest.

Pidgeotto whizzed through the air at a tremendous rate. He used his eyes to scan through the trees from a birds-eye-view. Ash said that it was close, so the avian figured he should be nearing a visual.

A clearing approached. He could see the trees begin to thin out into a commodious glade. As he raced through the skies, he used his acute optics to zero in on what lied ahead. He saw it; a large cabin-like building with a rosy pink roof. The avian shackled his wings to his body, as he entered a steep descent.

The wind howled. Ash held on tight as he felt their altitude begin to shift. The charmander moaned in distress, clearly in a lot of pain. The tail-flame Ash was securing was beginning to dwindle. They had to hurry.

Pidgeotto expelled his wings in preparation to land. He began to gradually slow down as they neared the pokemon center. He noticed the gaze of several idle humans as they watched the giant's rapid approach. He fought back the fiendish urge to throw a light gust their way as he neared the ground.

The landing was rough. Ash gnashed his teeth as Pidgeotto's talons slid through the gravel. The distressed boy ignored the annoying onlookers, as they came to a jagged stop. Ash didn't wait for Pidgeotto to lower himself. He jumped from the bird's elevated posterior, ignoring the jarring shock when his feet collided with the ground.

"Wait out here!" vociferated Ash, as he sprinted to the pokemon center's front entrance. He accidentally used his burned hand to pry open the door. He winced, as he felt the sharp aggravating pain of the cold metal making contact with his bubbling skin.

Ash caused a ruckus as he barreled into the pokemon center's lobby. He had tunnel vision while he zoned everything out except for the front desk. Nurse Joy jerked, reacting to the loud commotion. Ash watched, as her eyes focused in on the pokemon in his arms. She turned to the large pink egg-shaped pokemon to her right.

"Get the rest of the medical staff!" bellowed the pink-haired nurse. "Tell them to prepare for the worst! I need and EKG and a coagulation panel!"

She scampered from the lobby desk and ran out to meet Ash. She held out her arms in preparation to receive the severely injured lizard-pokemon. "I'll be taking it from here!"

Ash didn't argue. He relinquished responsibility to nurse Joy and gave up the charmander. He watched as she swept it away frenziedly, rushing back behind her desk and vanishing through a white door that must have led to the medical wing.

Ash bent over as he panted. The adrenaline from the alarming emergency had masked his exhaustion until now. A couple of other kids tried to near him to find out what had happened, but he unknowingly ignored them. All he could think about was the injured charmander.

He came to his senses and remembered that he had left Pidgeotto outside. The boy hastily exited the pokemon center, and without a word returned his friend. Pidgeotto at the time was receiving a surplus of dumfounded stares from an encompassing crowd. Ash shook his head - it was like none of them had ever seen a _giant _pidgeotto before.

He walked back into the pokemon center and made his way over to the waiting room. Ash ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to process the last fifteen minutes.

…A lot had happened.

The ten-year old boy's hand quivered, as he reached for Growlithe's pokeball. He wanted his best-friend right now. Hopefully Growlithe could distract him from all of the intrusive thoughts. Seeing a pokemon in such bad shape was difficult to handle. Pokemon obviously picked up injuries in battle - some more serious than others. But charmander was beaten up to a point of borderline lethality.

Ash had no way to tell what the circumstances were. It was possible that Charmander was beaten to a pulp by a wild pokemon. If that was the case, it most likely had to be a group ambush. This theory was highly unlikely though. There really weren't that many savage wild pokemon in these parts.

Another thing to keep in mind was that wild charmander were very rare, and they absolutely were not indigenous to this part of Kanto. Charmander could only be found in hot mountainous parts of the region, which pretty much limited their possible habitats to a few of the southern islands. This truth brought Ash to the conclusion that unless this charmander was a nomad that had somehow figured out a way to cross the sea. It had to be a trainers.

The dark-haired boy didn't want to believe it. He knew that the world had some sick people, but to abandon a pokemon in that condition was completely heartless. He hoped he was wrong. But after hearing from Melanie what had happened to Bulbasaur's parents, he was a little doubtful towards humanity.

Growlithe eyed his trainer. All it took was one glance at Ash's expression for the puppy pokemon to be able to tell that the lizard's condition must have been as serious as he anticipated. He curled up close to his trainer, and gently rubbed his head up against Ash's pant-leg. He could tell Ash needed some support.

"Thanks buddy," said Ash, as he tenderly scratched behind Growlithe's ears. "I'm just worried about the little guy, that's all."

Growlithe nodded - he didn't need an explanation.

Time passed by slowly. The waiting room began to get quiet as the conflux of trainers gradually retired to their rooms. Ash and Growlithe just sat there - long after arrival. The windows were dark, signifying that the sun had set. Ash's legs were stiff as a result of going such a long time without stretching his legs.

His eyes were locked on to the white door that Nurse Joy had passed through. It had been close to three hours since she shambled out of sight with the limp charmander in her arms. Ash just needed to hear some kind of news. Sitting in limbo for so long was causing a significant amount of anxiety.

It took about another hour for Nurse Joy to finally emerge from behind the white pivot door. She calmly approached Ash, before flashing him a kind smile.

"I'm happy to say that we managed to stabilize the charmander," said the nurse. "It still remains unconscious, but with a couple days of rest here it should fully recover."

Ash breathed a massive sigh of relief, as he thanked an unknown higher power.

Growlithe reacted similarly, just as alleviated as Ash.

Joy's facial expression turned from an amiable smile, to a venomous scowl. "While we were working on Charmander we were able to deduce with our technology that it is a captured pokemon."

Ash's earlier hypothesis was correct. The charmander had been abused and abandoned.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't report you to the league for pokemon abuse," scolded the pink haired nurse.

Ash waved his arms back and forth frantically. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! you've got it all wrong! Nurse Joy, that's not my charmander."

"Then who's is it?" asked Joy skeptically.

Ash frowned. "I have no idea. I found it like that about a mile north of here."

She sighed. "You seem to be telling the truth, but I'll have to run your information regardless. Since this charmander has without a doubt been captured, there will be no need to have you investigated if your trainer account says that you've never captured a member of its species."

Ash willingly complied, handing Nurse Joy his pokedex.

He followed Joy as she walked over to the front desk. The pink-haired nurse placed Ash's pokedex in a portable scanning slot that was connected to her computer with a thin black wire. She pressed a few buttons on her keyboard, while mumbling to herself.

"Let's see here kid," muttered Joy, as she analyzed whatever was pulled up on the screen. "It says here that you are in possession of a growlithe…"

She paused, breaking her concentration to quickly examine Growlithe before continuing. "A pidgeotto, a clefairy…_hmm _don't see that every day, and a bulbasaur - also rare."

"I don't see a charmander registered under your name, so you must be telling the truth," said Joy. "It seems you're a hero, not a _rotten_ pokemon abuser."

Ash scratched the back of his head. This pokemon center's Nurse Joy was definitely bolder then any he had met before.

"Well, since that's been cleared up," said the nurse, as she handed back his pokedex. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Actually, there is," replied Ash. "Can you please treat my pokemon and book me a room for the next couple of nights. We've been on the road for quite some time, so they're a bit worn out. And I don't feel comfortable leaving before I know that Charmander has fully-recovered."

"Sure thing," retorted Joy, as she reached under her desk and pulled out an aluminum tray with six spherical slots. "Place your pokeballs on the tray and I will take care of them."

Ash did as he was told. He returned Growlithe with a tranquil smile, before placing all four of his pokeballs in the slots on the tray. Nurse Joy handed them to her assistant chansey, before beginning to sift through a drawer in her desk.

Ash watched, as the pudgy pink egg-pokemon plodded through the door to the medical wing.

Nurse Joy rudely waved a keycard in Ash's face, garnering his attention. "Earth to kid, here's your room-card."

Ash instinctively reached out to grab the card with his dominant hand. As his bubbling extremity was suspended in front of Nurse Joy's face, her eyes lit up. He quickly drew back his hand in attempt to conceal it from the nurses' vision.

"Oh...no you don't," said Nurse Joy. "Let me see it."

It was no use, he'd been caught. Ash placed his right hand on the counter, letting Nurse Joy analyze it.

"My goodness child," gasped Joy. "Those are considerable burns."

Ash frowned. "Yeah I got them while I was carrying Charmander."

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" asked the nurse, as she pointed at Ash's palm. "I mean…that has to be excruciating. You burned straight through your epithelium into your dermis; those are legit second-degree burns."

"You had your hands full," replied Ash. "I didn't want to take any attention from the charmander."

"This is a hospital," orated Joy. "We have more than one doctor on staff."

Ash bashfully lowered his gaze. "Oh…can I have someone take a look at this then?"

"Duh," said Nurse Joy, as she gestured Ash over.

Ash rolled his eyes, as he followed Nurse Joy behind the front desk. She led him through the white-pivot door and down the medical wing. The dark-haired boy didn't really know how he felt about this pokemon center's Joy. She saved the charmander's life which he couldn't thank her enough for. However, her personality was rather acrimonious.

The medical wing's hallway was long and linear. The corridor was busy, as doctors in blue and green scrubs shuffled around frenziedly. There were several chansey, and many doors that looked to lead into individual doctor's offices. Nurse Joy led Ash about a quarter of the way down the hall, before escorting him into a small doctor's office.

The pink-haired nurse wasted no time. She immediately sat Ash down on a risen navy blue patient table.

"Alright, now let me see it again," said Nurse Joy, as she put on a pair of bifocal glasses.

The ten-year old boy turned his hand over, voluntarily revealing his palm to Nurse Joy. It was moist with oozing blisters. The flesh was a nasty combination of the colors pink, red, and white.

"I mean it could be worse," Ash quipped in attempt to lighten the mood. "They could be third-degree burns."

Nurse Joy squinched her eyes. "True… But this is actually about as painful of a burn as you can get. A third-degree burn destroys both the epithelium and the dermis, completely killing all of the nerves in the burned area. Most of the time you can't feel anything."

"Wow…really?" asked Ash.

"Yup," replied Joy. "You're just lucky that you got burned in a relatively non-sensitive area."

Ash gulped - he didn't think about that.

The petite nurse reached up into one of the office cabinets, extracting a small amaranth-pink colored spray-bottle. She tested it on a paper-towel; Ash assumed that the medical expert was making sure that it was the right concoction.

"What's that?" asked a slightly anxious Ash.

"It's a regenerative potion," answered Joy. "It basically quickens the human healing process _one-hundred_ fold."

Ash had never heard of such a thing. "Is it like the potions that we use on our pokemon?"

Nurse Joy shrugged. "Kind of…only it's way stronger."

"Is that because our bodies don't heal as efficiently as a pokemon's does?"

"Exactly," replied Joy, as she slipped on some rubber medical gloves. "Pokemon don't need quite as high of a dosage. Their cell's regenerate at a much faster rate."

"This stuff sounds a bit too convenient," said Ash. "Are there any drawbacks?"

Joy placed her gloved hand under her chin. "I wouldn't say there are any drawbacks _necessarily_."

Ash watched as Nurse Joy reached out for his hand. He willingly gave it to her, excited for the pain to finally cease.

"But it does have its limitations," confessed the middle-aged woman. "It only works on non-vital flesh wounds. Doctor's have yet to find a human equivalent to the full-restore. Also, if the injury would have scarred during the natural healing process, it will scar after the potion is applied."

Ash pondered the interesting concept over, as he watched the nurse point the spray bottle at his hand.

"I'll warn you now, this is going to sting like hell," admitted the female doctor.

Ash nervously swallowed.

The pain was gut-wrenching. His palm felt like it was being boiled in acid, as the potion made contact with his burn. He screamed in agony, while the skin promptly grew back. The affliction he felt from the restoration potion was worse than the original scalding. The process was quick; if it was much longer his guess was that he probably would have passed out from the pain. However, the relief he felt when the healing finally finished was blissful. The dark-haired boy looked down at his palm. There was very little scarring, but the discoloration was apparent. The new patch of skin was a couple of pigments darker than the rest of his body. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his left-hand, as he repetitively opened and squeezed his right. It was a little sore, but for the most part painless.

"How does it feel?" asked Nurse Joy, as she removed the rubber gloves from her hands.

"It feels awesome now," replied Ash. "But you definitely underestimated how painful that would be."

The slender woman shrugged. "I told you it would hurt like hell, what else was I supposed to say?"

Ash frowned. "Good point."

Nurse Joy proceeded to wrap a piece of white cloth around where the new skin had grown. "Keep this on for a couple of days. The skin will be a little sensitive."

Ash nodded. "Okay, thank you Nurse Joy."

Now that the burn had been taken care, Joy led the way back to the lobby's front desk. Ash continued to open and squeeze his hand. He had to admit the rapid healing from the potion was convenient. But for a lesser injury, he'd rather have it heal on its own. The restoration potions' agonizing bite wasn't worth it unless the wound was severe.

Nurse Joy picked up the room-key off of the counter and handed it to Ash.

"Now that your hand has been taken care of, here is the key to your room," said the pretty faced woman. "You're in room nine. I'll call your room when your pokemon are ready."

Ash thanked Nurse Joy and headed down the lodging wing. It didn't take him long to track down his room. It was much more expansive then any of the other pokemon center hostiles he had stayed in. It was a single person suite, which meant that he could let Growlithe and Bulbasaur sleep outside of their pokeballs tonight. Pidgeotto was too big, and Clefairy preferred to sleep in suspended animation.

The room had its own bathroom with a shower. Ash wasted no time - he had been waiting for this moment all day. Stripping himself of his clothing and bandage, he hopped in the shower. The overall gratifying feeling of the hot water splashing against his skin, drowned out the slight irritation it caused his recently healed palm.

While Ash was getting dressed to head back to the lobby, Nurse Joy called his room. His pokemon were ready and restored. He swung by the front desk to pick up his pokeballs, before heading down to the cafeteria to get a bite to eat.

The pasta was consummately delicious. It was only the second hot meal to reach the depths of his belly in the past week. Ash was just about to leave after finishing his food, when he overheard an unpleasant conversation.

"Damn bro!" blurted a low-toned male voice. "You've got quite the collection."

"Damian's _like _some kind of prodigy man," admitted a kid with a nasally inflection. "How many pokemon do you have now, _like_ fifty?"

"Fifty-three," bragged an obnoxiously arrogant voice. "No wait…fifty-two I almost forgot that I got rid of that weakling."

"_Scum," _muttered Ash under his breath.

"Which _one_ did you release this _time_?" said the low-toned voice. "I remember you were having problems with your spearow."

"_pshhh…_I bet it was that kakuna you caught a while back," snorted the nasally kid. "That stupid shell just didn't want to evolve."

"_Na_… Kakuna finally got his ass into gear and evolved into beedrill," said the kid known as Damian. "And spearow won his last battle, so he can stick around for _now."_

Ash frustratingly clenched his fists, as he turned around to take a look at the triplet of menaces. In the center of the booth, in between two other boring looking pieces of trash, sat the boy known as Damian. His black beady eyes were callous and the clothing he wore gave him the appearance of a spoiled rich kid. His hair was long and dark blue; held out of his face by a pair of expensive looking sun-glasses. His countenance was worm-like - Ash could tell he was cold-blooded just by looking at his face.

"Oh wait," said the kid with a nasally voice. "It's got to be that chicken-hearted charmander."

Ash's blood was boiling. He was going to explode if Damian was the _one_.

"_Bingo_!" howled Damian, while pounding on the table like a barbarian. "I left that sorry little lizard back in the forest after getting its ass handed to it by some stupid chick's machoke."

Ash detonated out of his seat and stormed the malign brat. He had to use every little bit of restraint he had not too sick Pidgeotto on the heartless prick.

"What's your deal nerd?" mocked Damian, as he noticed a pissed-off Ash barreling towards him.

Ash wedged his way past Damian's two lackeys. He dragged the brattish filth out of the booth by the collar of his deep-pink shirt. During the scuffle, Damian's arms flailed out, jumbling his _illegally _massive pile of pokeballs that were lying on the table.

"You disgusting fool!" bellowed Ash. "That charmander's in the pokemon center's ICU right now! It almost died because of you!"

Ash noticed Damian's two friends rapidly jump up out of the booth.

"Get your filthy hands off me!" wailed Damian, as he tried to shake off Ash's grip.

"Try and make me!" threatened Ash. "I'm going to make you pay for the way you treated that charmander!"

Before things got out of control, and Damian's punk friends jumped in to the fracas, a large burly man in a chef-outfit pulled Ash and Damian off of each other by their shirt collars.

"What the hell do you think you're doing in my cafeteria!" boomed the powerfully built chef, as his mustache quivered and his face fumed red.

"This punk just attacked me out of nowhere!" complained Damian, as he tried to smack the brawny chef's hand off the back of his collar.

"He's a piece of trash, a pokemon almost died today because of him!" shouted Ash.

"I don't have the time to figure out which one of you little brats started it," said the powerhouse chef. "I'll let Nurse Joy sort this one out."

The chef dragged the two brawling boys out of the cafeteria, and down the hall. As they were towed roughly by their shirt collars, Ash noticed Damian's _friends _sneak off as soon as they got a chance.

…Scum was hardly loyal, especially when put to the fire.

Ash looked to his right to see Damian viciously scowl at his cowardly underlings.

After an uncomfortable ride, they were dropped off in front of Nurse Joy's desk by the tempered chef.

"What's going on here Sal?" asked an irritated Nurse Joy, as she took her eyes off of the computer screen. "I thought I told you to stop doing that."

Sal gave Nurse Joy a dirty look. "But these unruly children were causing a ruckus in my cafeteria!"

"Don't you mean _my _cafeteria," retorted Joy, with leering eyes. "Don't forget who you work for pal."

Sal challenged Joy with his stare for a split-second, before eventually diverting his gaze. "Yes mam…"

"Good," muttered Joy. "Now leave the boys to me."

The brawny chef stormed off down the hall, back towards the cafeteria, and out of site. Ash was glad the man left, he'd spent enough time around _this_ Joy to know not to mess with her. No matter how large the man was, something about the center's Nurse Joy made her _much_ more intimidating.

"Mr. Ketchum, did I waste my potion on your hand only for you to use it in a fight," scolded Joy. "Because if that's the case, maybe I should have left your skin boiling in blisters."

Ash gulped - she was horrifying.

"And just who the hell are you?" asked Nurse Joy, giving her attention to Damian.

"I'm the kid that was just assaulted for no reason," hissed Damian. "This prick put his hands around my throat like some kind of fiend."

"Is this true, Ash?" asked Nurse Joy.

"Yeah it is," grumbled Ash, as he darted his enraged eyes at Damian. "And I would do it again. This is the trainer that abandoned the charmander!"

Nurse Joy gave Damian the same look she had given Ash when she thought that he was the one who had abused the fire-type.

"Is Ash telling the truth?" questioned Nurse Joy.

"Of course not," lied Damian. "I would never abandon a pokemon."

Nurse Joy looked at the weasel dubiously. "If you're telling the truth, I'm sure you won't have any problem handing over your pokedex so that I can check your trainer account."

Damian scowled. "Are you calling me a liar, I've never owned a charmander in my life?"

"No… I just simply want to make sure that you are telling the truth," explained Joy. "Now give me your pokedex, or I'll call Officer Jenny. There's a police station right down the trail."

Damian shrugged as he passed over his pokedex. "_Psht…_fine. What's this useless piece of hardware going to tell you anyway?"

"Obviously you don't know anything about it," said nurse Joy. "It records every pokemon you've ever captured."

Ash noticed Damian's facial expression exude anxiousness. Joy didn't notice the boys fear, as she slipped the pokedex in the scanning slot.

...The devilish boy's fate was sealed.

"Hmm…let's see…Damian Ross, eh?" mumbled Nurse Joy. "Your trainer account lists that you've caught quite a few pokemon. "Numerous pidgey, a sandshrew, a couple of metapod, a butterfree, nidoran, a spearow, a machop, six geodude, gloom, raticate, pinser, and what's this…?"

Nurse Joy looked Damian in the eyes ferociously. "It says here that you do _own _a charmander. I thought you said you've never owned a charmander in your life."

Damian was sweating feverishly, as he slowly started to creep away from the desk.

"I'm calling Officer Jenny," swore Joy, as she picked up the phone on her desk. "You can explain yourself to her."

Damian darted out of the building in a frantic frenzy. Ash started to pursue, when he heard the voice of Nurse Joy.

"Ash, stop right now!"

He turned around to face a no-nonsense Joy. "But he'll get away!"

"He's got nowhere to go," said Joy. "He doesn't have anything on him, and the next town is miles away. Let the authorities take care of him."

"But…"

"But what?" interrupted the nurse. "What are you going to do? Order your pokemon to attack a defenseless boy?"

Ash tried to explain. "I was just..."

"You're a good kid Ash… but right now you're not in the right mindset to make a wise choice," lectured the stern woman. "Officer Jenny will take care of this. Your help is most needed here, waiting for Charmander to wake-up."

Ash forced himself to calm down. The nurse was right. Damian was practically guaranteed to have his trainer's license revoked. The league had a zero-tolerance policy when it came to abandonment and abuse. After the arrest, it most likely would take no time at all for the league to have Damian's pokemon released back into the wild. Normally there would be a trial, but do to the fact that there was indisputable proof and a league certified eye-witness in Nurse Joy, a trial most likely wouldn't be necessary.

Therefore, Ash wanted to be there for Charmander. Chances are he would wake up extremely confused. Also, given that Charmander was more than likely born into domestication - unless Damian had taken a trip down to the southern islands to catch one - it would struggle to survive in the wild. Ash had saved Charmander's life, and if the league would let him, he'd like to give him a new one as well.

"You're right," said Ash. "I'll trust Officer Jenny and stay here."

"Good choice," replied Nurse Joy. "Now it's really late, you should go get some rest. I'll call Officer Jenny and figure out what we're going to do about Damian."

Sleep definitely sounded good...but Ash wasn't sure.

"Are you positive?" asked Ash. "I mean…don't you think officer Jenny's going to want to talk to me?"

"Probably," replied the pretty-faced woman. "But it's eleven-thirty at night, whatever officer Jenny wants from you can wait until morning."

Ash had absolutely no desire to argue - he was exhausted.

"Alright then, I'm going to go to bed," said Ash. "But if Officer Jenny needs me for anything tonight, feel free to wake me up."

"Will do," replied the nurse. "Goodnight Ash."

The boy waved, as he started to make his way toward his room. "Yup, see you tomorrow."

"Wait a second kid," inserted Joy.

Ash hesitantly turned around. "Yeah…?"

"What you did today was really something, you know that?" said nurse Joy.

"I just did what any decent person would," answered Ash.

Joy shook her head. "That's just what I'd expect someone like you to say."

"What do you mean?" asked Ash.

"You'll figure it out eventually..." answered Joy. "For now just get some sleep."

Ash said one final goodnight to Nurse Joy, before heading to his room. He wondered what the pink-haired nurse meant by her last comment. In his mind he didn't do anything today that garnered any praise...

Room nine's bed entangled his aspirations. The dark-haired boy released Growlithe and Bulbasaur, before shutting off the light and crawling into bed.

"Today was chaos…" whispered Ash.

Growlithe grunted.

Bulbasaur didn't react at all. Ash assumed the grass-type had no idea what he was talking about.

After some quiet individual self-reflection, the three friends drifted off, snuggling up against each other like a litter of teddiursa.

XXX

Ash woke up with a startle, in response to a heavy blustering knock on the door. The hair on Growlithe's back erected as he dutifully snarled. Bulbasaur jutted out his vines in preparation to protect.

The lodges' phone annoyingly rang. Ash grumbled to himself as he lazily picked it up.

"I tried to let you sleep in Ash," said a voice belonging to Nurse Joy. "But that obnoxious woman won't take no for an answer."

"What are you talking about?" asked Ash.

"League police open up!" there was a second cruelly loud drubbing on the door, accompanied by a rough female-voice. "I've waited long enough!"

Ash sighed, as he spoke into the phone. "Oh…"

"Growlithe, Bulbasaur, stand down," commanded Ash, as he hung up the phone and got up to answer the door. "It's regarding yesterday's fiasco."

Both pokemon relaxed slightly, respecting the directive of their trainer. However, they were not so naïve as to completely drop their guard. They both quietly remained fortified just in case the unexpected occurred.

"Ash Ketchum I presume," said the young woman standing in the hallway, when Ash swung open the heavy door.

She was absolutely gorgeous. Her eyes consisted of an enticing deep amber red; Ash could see his reflection shimmer about on her beautiful irises. Her facial features were _fine_ and _unlined_, perfectly complimented by her well-formed cerulean teal-hair. The officer's uniform consisted of a tight blue vest that crisply lied over a white short-sleeved dress shirt, neatly accessorized by a tiny black tie. She wore dark-tinted leggings underneath her abbreviate black shorts. Ash couldn't help but notice the holstered black hand-gun safely strapped to her belt.

"That's me," answered Ash. "I'm guessing you're Officer Jenny."

She tilted the police cap that sprucely sat on top of her head. "That would be correct."

"Nice to meet you," said Ash, as he shook the officer's hand. "I'm assuming you're here to talk about Damian."

"Sort of," replied Jenny, as she took a peek inside the room. "But that can wait… For now it would be nice if you'd just get ready. I don't exactly find this _hostile_ a suitable place to talk about league matters."

"Um…okay," said Ash. "Where do you want to talk then?"

"Meet me at the front desk in five minutes," replied Jenny. "We'll talk in Nurse Joy's office."

"Alright," agreed Ash. "I'll be there."

Officer Jenny nodded, antecedent to walking back in the direction of the Pokemon Center's lobby.

Ash returned Bulbasaur, before hastily getting ready for the meeting. Like Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny came off as the kind of woman that couldn't be overstepped.

...It didn't take him very long - he was a boy after all.

The dark-haired boy with Growlithe by his side, reached the front desk within the specified amount of time. He watched, as Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy cut their conversation short because of his arrival.

Nurse Joy gave the messy haired boy an authentic smile. "Good morning."

"Good morning Nurse Joy," reiterated Ash.

Officer Jenny bypassed Ash with her eyes, and looked down at Growlithe. "A commendable choice young man. It seems you've got good taste."

Ash remembered that the Jenny family was well known for their conventional usage of growlithe. The species' loyalty and uncanny sense of smell made them the perfect comrade for a police officer.

"He's my starter," said Ash, as he leant over to pet his friend. "We've been together since I started my journey."

"I see," huffed Officer Jenny. "You two look rather good together."

"Thanks," replied a polite Ash. "Now what _exactly_ is it that you want to talk to me about?"

Officer Jenny turned her head slightly, making eye contact with Nurse Joy. "Would you like to lead the way?"

Nurse Joy acknowledged Officer Jenny's comment, and led them through the entrance to the medical wing. This time the linear hall was relatively quiet. There was a lone female doctor rummaging about and a few ambulatory chansey, but compared to the day before the activity was rather dull.

"It's pretty quiet back here," stated the ten-year old boy.

"Yeah… things don't usually pick up until around noon," replied Joy, as she shrugged. "Apparently the world hates mornings."

"It's such a shame," huffed Officer Jenny. "Seizing the morning is one of the best ways to improve one's productivity."

Ash could practically feel the disdainful atmosphere surrounding Nurse Joy. It was fairly obvious that the female officer wasn't Joy's favorite person. The fresh-faced boy on the other hand, didn't necessarily disagree with Jenny. In his opinion, getting up early doubtlessly had its convenient benefits.

Nurse Joy's office was at the very end of the hall. Ash originally was under the assumption that her office was the room she had healed his hand in yesterday. But apparently that was just some general practitioner's office.

The nurse's private office was relatively good-sized, especially when put in contrast to the smaller bureau he had seen yesterday. There was some medical gear, but for the most part it seemed like a typical occupational workstation. The walls were embellished by hundreds of books, adhered by a finely crafted encompassing ligneous shelving unit. Her desk was disarranged by an abundance of paperwork, and there were several used coffee cups scattered about.

"It seems you've got some tidying up to do Joy," blurted Officer Jenny. "It looks like a tornado barreled through here."

"Why?" jabbed Joy, with a glare. "Nobody comes in here except for me."

"The Ketchum kid and I are in here right now, _aren't_ we?" angled Officer Jenny. "Besides, a little order would be good for you."

Nurse Joy took a deep breath to calm herself, before taking a seat at her desk.

She changed the subject. "I don't really have anywhere for you two to sit, so I hope you don't mind standing."

"I don't mind at all," said Ash. "I can stand."

Officer Jenny seemed offended, but she didn't verbally complain. Ash figured that the stringent woman was probably catching onto how irritated Nurse Joy was.

"Why don't you fill Ash in on the topic of discussion?" said the pretty faced nurse. "I'm sure he's anxious to hear what you have to say."

"Isn't she here to talk about Damian?" inserted Ash.

"Damian's for the most part been taken care of," said Jenny. "We're just ironing out a few little details."

"I thought you needed my witness account?" questioned Ash. "And you found him?"

"Nurse Joy's deposition was credible enough. There's no need for another witness. Besides, it would be a lot easier if we didn't get a ten-year old boy wrapped up in all of this," explained Jenny. "As for finding that brat, it was easy… he's back at the station as we speak."

"What are you going to do with him?" asked Ash, clenching his fists. "After what he did to Charmander…"

"Obviously…all of his pokemon have been confiscated," said Jenny. "And his trainer's license has been revoked indefinitely."

Nurse Joy smirked. "From what I understand, you're currently working out a correctional institute…right?"

"That's correct," replied Jenny. "It's either an institute, or a juvenile detention center. We just have to wait for the league to make a decision on what his conduct deserves."

She paused for a short moment, before continuing. "One things for sure… he'll definitely never train a pokemon again."

"That seems like a reasonable punishment," Ash concurred. "But if you have all of that figured out, why do you need me?"

"We're planning on releasing the majority of Damian's pokemon back into the wild," answered Jenny. "But…we've had a tough time determining what would be the best thing for the injured charmander."

Ash listened attentively, while Growlithe cuddled up against his leg.

"It was born domesticated, so the wild wouldn't be a suitable choice," said Jenny. "We thought about sending it back to Damian's issuer in Saffron City, but Nurse Joy had an alternative suggestion."

Ash shifted his attention to Nurse Joy.

"I think you should have it," said Nurse Joy with a wink. "After what Charmander's been through…it deserves a trainer like you."

A large toothy grin started to formulate on his face.

"Besides, if it weren't for you it wouldn't be here," added Joy.

"After seeing the way your Growlithe looks at you," inserted Jenny. "I can't help but agree with her."

Ash's eyes gleamed. "Really…are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," said Joy. "It was my idea after all."

"I already did a background check," stated Jenny. "I talked to your sponsor Samuel Oak, and he said that you are a good kid with a lot of character. With the type of integrity Professor Oak has, I have no reason to object."

"Professor Oak said that?" said Ash. "Wow…I promise to take good care of him."

Growlithe playfully yapped, excited by the prospect of having another fire-type around.

"The paperwork has all been finalized," informed Jenny, as she handed Ash some documents that he hadn't noticed until now. "We just need you to sign these papers, and ownership of the charmander will be transferred over to your trainer account."

Nurse Joy handed Ash a black ball-point pen. "You'll need this."

"This is so awesome," said Ash to Growlithe, as he placed the papers down on the desk to sign. "We're going to have another friend on our team."

Growlithe rubbed his head up against Ash's leg as a sign of elation.

Ash was about to put the pen to the paper, when he suddenly had a thought that caused him to freeze. There was one thing that he had to do before he signed the document of permission. "Before I sign this, I have to make sure that Charmander is okay with it."

"A noble gesture," said Jenny, as she turned her attention to Joy. "What do you think?"

Nurse Joy approvingly smiled. "I think that's a great idea. I'm impressed by your thoughtfulness Ash."

The ten-year old boy bashfully blushed in response to the compliment. "Charmander's been through a lot. I don't want to force him to do something he doesn't want to do."

"Like I said last night, you're a great kid," said Joy, before acknowledging Jenny. "Charmander most likely won't wake up until tomorrow though, is that okay?"

"No problem whatsoever," replied the female officer. "If everything goes as planned and the charmander agrees to travel with the _kid_, just fax me the paperwork."

"That works," said Joy. "Does that mean you're leaving?"

"It does," replied Officer Jenny. "Unfortunately, there are some matters relating Mr. Ross that I have to attend to. I need to get back to the station, so I really should be heading out."

"Well thanks for everything," said Ash shaking Jenny's hand, as he watched Nurse Joy quietly pump her fist in secret.

"No need for thanks," insisted Jenny. "I was just doing my job."

"Yeah thanks for figuring this mess out," said Joy in a sarcastic tone. "Remember to check your fax machine tomorrow."

"Will do," replied Jenny. "It was nice seeing you again Joy."

Jenny held her hand out to Ash. "And it was great meeting you kid. I hope everything works out with that charmander."

Ash reached for her hand. "It was nice meeting you as well Officer Jenny."

Ash, Growlithe, and Joy, escorted Officer Jenny back to the pokemon center's lobby. The lobby was a lot busier than before the meeting. Several trainers waited anxiously in line, while a chansey tried excruciatingly hard to fill in for Nurse Joy.

Officer Jenny hastily said her final goodbyes, before exiting out the front door leaving Ash with Nurse Joy.

"Thanks for recommending me to take care of Charmander," said Ash. "It really means a lot."

Nurse Joy smiled, as she playfully punched Ash on the shoulder. "No problem kid, you deserve it."

"Thanks," said Ash. "You know you're a lot different than the other Joy's."

"Yeah I like to say I'm the coolest in the family," bragged Joy. "What are you planning on doing all day kid? Charmander won't come out of unconsciousness until tomorrow…"

Ash looked down at Growlithe decisively. "We're going to train."

XXX

Ash watched, as Charmander's bright blue eyes opened up to greet his own. The boy smiled, trying his best not to frighten the waking fire-type.

The lizard pokemon jostled, shocked by the unfamiliar human's face.

"It's okay Charmander," said Ash. "You've been asleep for a couple of days."

Charmander tilted his head curiously. What was the human talking about? Last thing he remembered he was in battle.

"Damian's no longer your trainer," confessed Ash. "He's been convicted of pokemon abuse. He can no longer be in possession of a pokemon."

Charmander remembered. He remembered the bastardized boy that treated him worse than dirt. He remembered the boy that never used kind words. He remembered the boy that didn't care about his health. He remembered the _serpent_ that only acknowledged himself...could it possibly be over.

"I found you beaten on a rock about a mile north from here," bemoaned Ash. "You almost didn't make it."

Charmander painfully recollected. He was crushed… overpowered by a brute of machoke. He had angered his trainer; his _unloving_, _unsympathetic_, _hard-hearted_ trainer.

...And then everything went black.

…Is it possible that he had almost died?

"We're at a pokemon center somewhere southeast of Saffron City," said Ash. "Nurse Joy's done a great job of getting you better."

Charmander slowly propped himself up; he was in a stationary pod-like apparatus. It was comfortable and warm, he felt like his body was gradually being rejuvenated. He noticed his tail-flame safely secured through an aperture on the side of the pod. The fire-lizard also identified a second human in the vast room. This one was female…she looked somewhat familiar.

Nurse Joy calmly approached the conscious charmander. "It's nice to finally see those pretty blue eyes of yours."

Charmander felt an external heat source coming from somewhere in the room. He scanned the room's scope, before settling his eyes on a growlithe sitting loyally next to the human boy's feet.

Growlithe looked at Charmander with inviting eyes. He was very aware of the kind of influence he had over the fire-type's perception of Ash.

"Ash _here_ saved your life," boasted Joy. "If it weren't for him…"

Charmander nodded - he understood what the boy had done for him.

"I only did what was right," said Ash. "Don't feel like you owe me anything."

The boy's modesty was refreshing. On a daily basis, Damian did whatever he could to make Charmander feel like he owed him everything; simply for the sake of being allowed to live. He hated the way Damian treated him, he hated it…he hated it…he hated it…he hated _him._

Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it. Damian was the trainer destiny had picked for him. Shame would eat him alive if he were to rebel while he was bound to him. His species prided itself on honor. Unfaithfulness to a trainer meant _total _degradation. He would be debauched by dishonor.

He recalled what the boy had said earlier.

...Could it really be true that he had been freed from his torment?

...Is it possible that Damian finally got what he deserved?

"At this moment in time, you are no longer a captured pokemon," said Joy. "The league has completely exterminated Damian's status as a pokemon trainer. Right now they are currently working out a more _exclusive_ punishment."

Charmander took a deep breath, before celebrating with an abbreviate flame-induced snort.

"Good news?" questioned Joy.

Charmander excitedly nodded - he hadn't been this happy in a long time.

Ash happily chuckled. "I'm glad you're handling this well."

"Now since you are still considered a league pokemon until your official release," explained Joy. "We've basically come up with three choices for your future. You can pick any of them, it's your decision."

The obedient charmander listened proactively. His honor bound him to oblige by the rules.

"Choice number one, which in my opinion is the worst of the three," said Joy. "You are free to find a niche in the wild. You weren't born in the wild, so I don't think this is the best fit for you."

Charmander for the most part agreed. He didn't like the idea of trying to make it on his own. The lizard pokemon wasn't bred for the wild - it would most likely be the same as suicide.

He shook his head left and right, affirming a negative.

"Wise choice," responded Joy. "Option two is a little bit better."

Charmander paid attention with an open mind.

"We could transfer you back to your distributer in Saffron City," offered Joy. "However, it would be difficult to find another trainer willing to start with an abused pokemon. So unless you are prepared to live your life at the lab in Saffron…it's a risky choice."

Charmander hated that idea with a passion. He loathed that lab ever since they had unwisely discerned that Damian deserved a pokemon. The fire-type also despised Saffron laboratory's idiotic professor. In his mind, the man was a rotten bigot that looked at pokemon as inferior beings, instead of valued partners.

…Charmander once again shook his head no.

"Okay, well then I would advise you to go with the third option," said Joy, as she directed her gaze towards the dark-haired boy. "I'll have Ash explain this one."

"There's really not all that much to explain," said Ash, with a shrug. "Option three is that you come with me."

Charmander perked up in the pod. He wasn't expecting _that _to be an option.

"I would like to give you a shot at a new life," implied Ash. "I think that you deserve a trainer that will treat you right and train you to your potential."

"Ash is a great young trainer and an even greater kid," inserted Nurse Joy. "He's the polar opposite of Damian."

Out of the three options, this one was definitely the best. If it weren't for the dark-haired boy, he'd be dead. Also, if he remembered correctly, the boy had said earlier that he'd been unconscious for a couple of days. That meant that the human had stayed the whole time, waiting for him to recover.

Another element to factor in was the growlithe. The fellow fire-type's species was well known for its loyalty and judgement of character. Given that the growlithe looked happy, he could tell that the boy known as Ash took good care of his pokemon.

Ash watched as Charmander shot his gaze towards Growlithe, while muttering something to the pup.

Growlithe communicated back, while animatedly nodding his head up and down.

Charmander was sold. The Growlithe spoke wondrous things about the _boy_ Ash, and he was pretty sure that it was impossible for a Growlithe to lie. Therefore, he had no reason to deny the offer. Besides, regardless of what the boy said earlier, he felt like he owed him.

The moment the boy chose to save his life, they were bound together by Charmander's honor. Charmander had made a decision. With an enthusiastic smile and a playful growl, he accepted the offer.

Nurse Joy raised her arms above her head in celebration.

Growlithe eagerly yapped.

Ash light-heartedly smiled, while reaching out to pet Charmander's head.

A lone tear slowly dribbled down Charmander's scaly orange face. As he received more affection in that moment, than he had ever gotten from his _old_ trainer.

Ash turned elatedly to Nurse Joy. "I think I'm ready to sign those papers!"

XXX

Ash, Growlithe, Charmander, and Nurse Joy stood outside of the pokemon center in preparation to part ways.

"Well Charmander, I guess it's time that I officially make you part of the team," said Ash, as he handled an empty pokeball.

This was a process Charmander was already familiar with, but for some reason things felt different this time.

Ash held the pokeball out to Charmander. "You made the choice, would you like to finish it?"

Charmander nodded, stepping forward towards his soon to be trainer.

"Whenever you're ready," insisted Ash.

"The paper-works been faxed and processed," said Joy. "Everything will be finalized after the capture."

Charmander nervously eyed Growlithe, whom gave him a confident gesture of affirmation.

Ash observed, as Charmander isolated one of his extremities and raised it up to the pokeball. He hesitated for a split-second, before tapping the button on the spheres smooth metallic surface.

The pokeball rapidly opened, simultaneously encasing Charmander in an effulgent array of red light. The pokeball seemingly inhaled, sucking the primary fire-type into sequester.

Ash watched, as the spherical apparatus fell an abbreviate distance to the ground. The pokeball remained steady, lacking any contentious movement. There was a metallic click, indicating a successful capture.

"Congratulations Ash," said Joy, as she watched the ten-year old boy pick up Charmander's new pokeball.

Ash light-heartedly smiled, showing his dimples to the pink-haired nurse.

"Well I guess it's about time you get going, eh?

Ash adjusted the straps on his backpack, in anticipation to travel. "Yeah, I want to cover at least some ground today."

"Understandable," replied Joy. "Besides, I got to get back to work. The rest of the staff's starting to get frustrated."

"Sorry about that," murmured Ash. "I guess I've been kind of distracting the past couple of days."

Don't sweat it," huffed Joy. "They'll get over it."

Ash chuckled, as he reached out for Joy's hand with his own. "It was awesome getting to know you Nurse Joy."

Nurse Joy surprised Ash by deferring his handshake, wrapping him up in a tight motherly hug. "It was a pleasure Ash, do great things out there."

He gladly returned the hug. "I'll try not to let you down."

Upon severance, Nurse Joy smiled. "Don't forget about the Joy stationed in the middle of nowhere. Have one of my relatives help you give me a call sometime. I'd like to know how you and Charmander are doing every once in a while."

Growlithe quietly whined.

Ash cackled. "Don't forget _him_."

Nurse Joy bent over and gently stroked the tuft atop Growlithe's head. "Oh I could never forget my friend Growlithe."

The puppy pokemon graciously absorbed the attention, before being interrupted by his trainer.

"Alright Growlithe it's time to get going," insisted Ash.

Growlithe pouted slightly, before scampering back to his trainer's side.

"I'll make sure to give you a call sometime soon," said Ash. "Until then, thanks for everything."

Nurse Joy gave Ash a warm smile. "See ya later kid, I look forward to hearing from you in the near future."

"Goodbye."

"Bye."

As Ash and Growlithe put distance between themselves and the pokemon center, the boy thought back to the negative first impression he originally had of Nurse Joy.

…He couldn't have been more wrong.

XXX

The dark-haired boy contentedly reflected on the past week, as he walked down the route's primary trail accompanied by Growlithe and Clefairy.

A lot had occurred...

He had made two new friends; pokemon that he had no intention of catching when he first set out on his journey. Not because he didn't want them, but because he thought that it would be nearly impossible to find either of them in the wild.

Bulbasaur were highly endangered. Prior to discovery, he had zero expectation of ever coming across one amidst the uncultivated wild.

Charmander was an option as a starter back at Professor Oak's lab. Their breed wielded an absurd amount of abeyant potential. However, they happened to be an exorbitantly rare species in the wild. His original assumption was that he had given up his only chance to train one, when he had uniquely elected to start with Growlithe. Thankfully…he was wrong.

Whether it was a product of fate, or just plain old luck, somehow he had managed to procure two of the three "original" Kanto starters. The boy wasn't foolish - he was fully aware that finding the right pokemon was ordinarily a very strenuous task. Regardless, he had to admit, the dice of travel had so far rolled his way.

Bulbasaur gifted him with the best grass-type option in the region. Ash no longer felt the need to seek out another grass-type in Kanto, especially since there weren't any other Kanto native grass pokemon that really caught his attention.

Charmander was a fantastic and valued new addition to his team, despite the fact that his presence didn't necessarily alter Ash's internal "pokemon to catch" list. Nevertheless, regardless of need, Charmander's promise provided him with great flexibility and versatility...

In addition, the past week of training had resulted in a sufficient amount of developmental growth for his pokemon.

Growlithe was agonizingly close to mastering flame-wheel. The progress they had made within the past couple days of travel was astounding. Ash's guess was that they were probably about a week away from completion. Hopefully, it would be ready before his battle at the Vermillion City gym.

Pidgeotto's ongoing development was exceptional. Not only had he mastered twister during the beginning of the week, but he was also having a relatively easy time with feather dance. The reality that he was a giant amongst his species, gave him an incredible advantage when it came to learning the technique. His tremendous size blessed him with an enhanced surplus of available molted feathers. The only thing left for him to get a handle on was the bizarre secretion of a natural sticky solution, that pidgeotto can create through the root of its pin feathers. He indispensably needed the solution, in order to get his feathers to instantaneously stick to his opponents.

His fairy-type was still grating through the process of learning minimize. Progress was limited over the past couple of days. For the most part, Clefairy was still calculating how to manipulate and maintain her reduction.

During the past couple days of travel, his saurian grass-type had successfully conquered take-down. Like Ash had assumed, Bulbasaur was quick to get the hang of it. The recoil was a bit unappealing, but he figured it would slowly diminish as Bulbasaur grew. Sleep-powder on the other hand, was severely more abstruse. Bulbasaur was still struggling to accurately decipher the perfect chemical computation. He was a little bit closer to comprehension than he was a couple of days ago, but the technique would still require work.

Over the past two days, Ash had learned a lot about his freshly caught charmander. The fire-type possessed the ability blaze - an ability that greatly enhanced a fire-type's inner flame, when the wielder's pushed beyond its limit.

Charmander's current move-set was surprisingly impressive in Ash's opinion. He knew scratch, growl, focus-punch, ember, and smokescreen. Four out of the five techniques were relatively basic. However, focus-punch was not typically in a charmander's learn-set. Ash assumed it to be an egg-move - a technique that a pokemon mysteriously procures during its embryonic phase. Focus punch gave Charmander a viable option against rock-types, which charmander's species was typically incompetent against.

The lizard pokemon's training over the past couple of days was light. Ash was wary to rush the fire-type after his near death experience. He had yet to begin teaching Charmander a new technique. The meager amount of training they had done primarily consisted of the evaluation of Charmander's current moves.

His scratch was _solid_.

Growl was _above-average_.

Ember and smokescreen were _potent_.

Focus-punch was more than useable, but still required some slight touching up…

Even though Charmander was at an acceptable place battle-wise, Ash was much more pleased with how he socially cooperated with the rest of the team.

Charmander and Growlithe got along vibrantly. Ash wasn't quite sure if it was simply because the two fire-types shared the same typing, or if their personalities candidly meshed well. Whatever the reason was, they behaved like two peas in a pod.

The lizard-pokemon seemed to get along relatively well with Pidgeotto. Despite the avian's less than secretive sadistic nature, Charmander found a way to relate with Pidgeotto's altered sense of honor.

Ash still wasn't quite sure what kind of relationship Clefairy and Charmander would have. At this point, they hadn't really gotten much of an opportunity to bond. Any free time Clefairy had, she chose to spend working out minimize. Ash figured that her social-life would remain slightly impaired, until she finally mastered the personally frustrating technique.

Bulbasaur and Charmander seemed to get along decently well. Charmander had tried to take part in Pidgeotto and Bulbasaur's game of chase. But he severely struggled to keep up. The fire-type couldn't wait until he evolved into a powerful Charizard, that way he could legitimately compete…

Moreover, Ash was semi-satisfied with the ground they had covered geographically. On the days that they had traveled, the boy thought that a lot of distance had been resolved between themselves and Vermillion. The map on his pokedex suggested that they were nearing the southeastern coast of Kanto, hinting that they were realistically about a week away. If they went straight there, without any distractions, Ash calculated that they could probably cut it down to about a five day trip. But…the ten-year old boy was starting to realize that his journey never quite went according to plan.

As if the world was listening in on his reflection, Ash's internal rumination came to an abrupt end, as he was smacked back into reality by Growlithe's menacing growl. He paused; Growlithe only behaved in such a way when he was either surprised, or they were threatened. The present circumstances seemingly leaned towards the ladder.

"What is it Growlithe?" asked Ash, in an edgy tone.

The puppy Pokemon darted his eyes back and forth, ostensibly scanning their surroundings.

Ash used his eyes to follow Growlithe's lead. He didn't see anything.

He anxiously turned to Clefairy. "Do you sense something?"

The fairy type's ears fidgeted, before she nodded her head in affirmation. She used both of her stocky arms to visually portray to Ash that they were surrounded.

He hoveringly drifted his hand over Pidgeotto's pokeball. If they were dealing with a multitude, the flying-type's widespread attacks would come in handy.

He waited anxiously, as everything perceptually muted for a split-second.

…The surprise ambush had been initiated.

Ash chuckled - apparently, the region of Kanto was using divine means to show its enthusiasm towards his decision to pass on its primordially selected starters.

With both hands, he firmly grasped Pidgeotto and Bulbasaur's pokeballs, as he watched a troupe of squirtle frenziedly flood around them.

The gaggle of turtle-pokemon came to a sudden halt. They raised their guard, as they witnessed the release of a momentous Pidgeotto, and an inconvenient grass-type. Since their foolhardy blitz was on momentary pause, Ash was able to make out the oddest component of this random encounter. Every single encompassing squirtle was wearing…black sunglasses.

"What the hell?" questioned Ash, to no one in particular.

His pokemon outwardly surrounded him, in preparation to protect their trainer.

Growlithe settled into a defensive crouch, loading a high-temperature ember in his barely open maw. His ability intimidate activated, in attempt to place fear in the hearts of their water-type adversaries.

Pidgeotto leant over and glared like a hellion. Ash wasn't quite sure if the behemoth was being protective, or truculent.

Clefairy raised both of her fists, showing her alertness and readiness for combat. Ash knew her well enough at this point that he could tell she was mulling something over, most likely her plan of attack. Unlike her more instinctual-styled male counter-parts, Clefairy's battle style was much more analytical.

Bulbasaur growled, as he protruded his retractable vine-like appendages. He triggered chlorophyll, using the light from the sun to boost the strength in his leg muscles. Squirtle were fast… he intended to be faster.

The gang of squirtle hastily grouped together, organizing themselves into an arching defensive formation. Ash counted eight. He carefully watched, while one of the eight squirtle barged its way towards the head of the formation.

The ten-year old boy perceived that the assumed leader was almost a whole-foot taller than the rest of its comrades. Ash wasn't sure if it was genetically a larger specimen, like Pidgeotto, or if it was simply nearing evolution. The boy also took into account the alpha's different styled sunglasses. The frames' upper edges were pointed, unlike the rest of its pals who wore standard round frames. The dark-haired boy was not so foolish as to think that it was a coincidence - the leader was obviously trying to stand out amongst the rest.

While emitting a sonorous battle cry, the leader used one of its fists to pompously pound upon its shell-encased chest. The rest of the squirtle troupe raised their fists, as they mimicked their audacious leader.

Ash's body subtly twitched, as he internally became restless. He wanted it. Any pokemon that could extract that kind of response out of its kin was awfully enticing to train. Ash detached an empty pokeball from his belt. He was going to try and catch the final member of the Kanto region's "original" elemental trio.

Anticipation for a battle was brewing on both sides.

"Wait until they make the first move," said Ash quietly. "Pidgeotto… go after the big one."

Nearly a minute went by without any movement, before…

The troupe of squirtle charged.

Ash's team fearlessly prepared for retaliation.

The gaggle of squirtle howled - their voices blended together, constructing a vicious tenor-toned choir.

"Go get em!" bellowed Ash.

Bulbasaur, Clefairy, and Growlithe used the fast-twitch muscle fibers in their legs, to propel themselves forward at a tremendous rate. Bulbasaur and Growlithe left after-images, as they dashed towards the right half of the eight-turtle brigade. Clefairy tapped into the lunar essence stored in her wings, while she smoothly glided towards the left-side of the squirtle-formation.

Pidgeotto launched himself into the sky as fast as a comets tail. With both wings he prepared a powerful violet-tinted twister, with intention to crash it on top of the leader's head.

While they were on the move, all eight squirtle conjured a highly concentrated water-gun. They patiently let it rest in their gullets, waiting for the right moment to strike.

The two sides were about to clash, when...unexpectedly…

In response to a loud, overbearing, collection of police sirens, both groups of pokemon came to a sudden stop.

Ash briskly turned his head around. He watched, as a sextuplet of black and white police cars raced towards the scene. A cloud of dust followed, their tires ruthlessly spewed the trail's gravel in every which direction.

Ash covered his eyes to protect them from the airborne dirt, as the six police cars braked and slid, before coming to a gradual halt. Ash briefly glanced back towards the battlefield, watching as the troupe of squirtle madly scrambled back into the brushwood. His Pokemon let them flea, unaware of his plan to catch the leader. The leader emotionlessly looked back towards Ash, before following his comrades into the woods.

Ash scowled, as he disappointedly cursed under his breath. He'd let it get away.

He gestured Growlithe and Clefairy back to his side, before returning Pidgeotto and Bulbasaur to their pokeballs without saying a word.

He turned around to face the flood of oncoming police officers. He had a feeling this was going to be one of _those_ days.

At the center of the squadron, was Officer Jenny. For a fraction of a second Ash thought to nonchalantly say hello, but then he remembered that "this Jenny" was probably one of the "original Jenny's" identical relatives.

"What were you doing with the Squirtle Squad boy?" asked Jenny rudely; her eyes hidden behind a pair of dark-tinted sunglasses. "Are you an accomplice?"

"No…we were battling," said Ash curtly. "They ambushed me and my pokemon while we were walking down the trail."

Officer Jenny grimaced. "Dammit!"

"What?" asked Ash, in a confused manner.

"The _friggin_' Squirtle Squad's resorted to attacking traveling trainers," ranted Jenny. "This is a new low for them."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Wait…the Squirtle Squad, that's their name?"

"Yeah, they're a _friggin_' nuisance!" growled Jenny. "They've been terrorizing our town for the past year."

"Your town?" asked Ash curiously. "There's a town around here?"

Officer Jenny sighed, clearly annoyed. "Why is it that no one knows about it?"

"Is it on the map?" heckled Ash. "Because that could have a lot to do with it…"

Jenny sarcastically rolled her eyes. "We don't qualify. Our town's too small to be on the _official_ Kanto map."

"Really?" asked Ash. "They count populace for something like that?"

Officer Jenny sadly frowned. "Yeah…unfortunately the league isn't perfect."

One of the other five male police officers interrupted Jenny. "Should we pursue them?"

"Don't bother!" commanded Officer Jenny. "Once they reach the woods, they're impossible to track."

"I could help," inserted Ash. "My Growlithe could probably use his nose to track them down."

Officer Jenny crossed her arms, physically showing her frustration. "The station has a growlithe too. Unfortunately, tracking them by scent doesn't work."

"Why's that?" questioned Ash.

"They escaped into _their_ territory," said Jenny. "They've booby-trapped that part of the woods with all kinds of hidden traps."

One of the other accompanying officers spoke up. "That place is impossible to safely maneuver around - it's like a makeshift minefield."

"Well then let's draw them out," said Ash. "We can battle them head on."

Officer Jenny skeptically tilted down her sunglasses, as she used her amber-red eyes to stare deep into Ash's soul. "Why are you so interested in the _Squirtle Squad _kid?"

"I want the big one," answered Ash, honestly. "It would be a good addition to my team."

"Pshhh… you think you can train that thing?" queried Jenny. "That _friggin_' bastard's as unruly as they come."

"I'd like to try," said Ash, ignoring Jenny's crude mouth. "That 'thing' practically oozes potential."

"Well I can't really complain," sputtered Jenny, as she squinched her face. "If you think you can take that degenerate little beast on, who am I to stop you? Besides…it would help us out."

Ash knowingly smiled. "So we'll work together?"

Jenny readjusted her sunglasses. "Why not…? If we can lessen their gang by one, it would be worth it - especially...if that one, is that damn_ leader _of theirs."

"Awesome," said Ash, as he bent over and pet Clefairy behind her ears. "But we need a plan."

"It shouldn't be too difficult to draw them out," said Jenny, as she placed her hands on her hips. "There are certain _things_ that those little vandals can't resist."

"It sounds to me like you already have a plan," said Ash.

"Roughly," replied Officer Jenny, with a smirk. "Let's plot out the rest back at the station."

"Sure," said Ash with a shrug. "Sounds like a good idea to me."

Officer Jenny gestured towards her black and white police car. "Hop in. I'll give you a ride."

XXX

The police station was located in a quiet place on the outskirts of town. Ash wasn't able to get a thorough feel for the rural town, because of the short direct drive and its outmost residential location. However, he was able to decipher that the unmapped establishment was probably somewhere around the same size as his small hometown of Pallet.

The station was medial-sized; its exterior was rather contemporary compared to the rest of the town's more rural surroundings. It was an odd cylinder shape, painted beige, with a protruding blue semi-circle jutting out of its face. The top-half of the building portrayed a Kanto police hat, distending out from the structures right-side was a massive garage sealed with a retractable green, steel, door.

Officer Jenny reached above her head, clicking a button on the face of a tiny apparatus that was clipped to the edge of one of the vehicle's sun visors. In response, the station's green garage door retracted, making it possible for the squad to safely park their cars inside.

After they parked she led Ash, Growlithe, and Clefairy, through a side door into the station's main department. It was cluttered with about a dozen cubicles. Half of them were idle - Ash assumed that they were the workstations of the officer's that were following in behind them.

Clefairy got a lot of interested stares, as Jenny led them toward her private office. Growlithe looked anxious. Ash wanted to help his puppy pokemon squash his fear of large groups of people with a little dose of exposure therapy. They were in a controlled environment, so Ash figured it would be a good time to try something. The dark-haired boy didn't want Growlithe to go through life debilitated by social anxiety.

Jenny's office was small, tidy, and businesslike. The only evidence that it belonged to her, was the chrome nameplate and framed photograph that sat on her desk. Ash examined the picture; it was a family photo, consisting of herself and a handful of her identical relatives.

Officer Jenny relaxed into a comfortable looking swivel chair. She gestured Ash to sit down in one of the two stationary chairs positioned opposite of hers.

"Growlithe and Clefairy, you should go ahead and get comfortable," suggested Ash, as he eagerly sat down.

Growlithe and Clefairy both listened to their trainer, and found a comfortable spot on the ground adjacent to him.

"Alright kid, before we come up with a plan… are you really sure you want that squirtle?" asked a no-nonsense Officer Jenny.

"Yeah, I'm definitely sure," affirmed Ash with a nod.

"Okay, in that case… I'll tell you what I know about him," said Jenny. "That way you have an idea of what you're getting yourself involved in. It's actually quite the story - you see…he showed up about a year ago."

"With the rest of the Squirtle Squad?" interrupted Ash.

"Just let me _friggin_' talk kid," scolded Jenny. "If you still have questions at the end, feel free to ask em."

Ash gulped. "Okay…"

"Alright… so it was about a year ago, when that big, bad, squirtle, showed up in tears, dragging his unconscious trainer into our town's local hospital."

Ash raised his eyebrows, while Growlithe and Clefairy listened attentively.

"The squirtle's trainer was immediately rushed into the hospital's ICU. He was in pretty _friggin_' bad shape; one of the most gruesome scenes I've seen in my ten year career. His body was covered in deep bruises and nasty lacerations. He was missing several fingers, one of his eyes was gouged out, and the rest of his face was heavily disfigured."

Ash made a wry face, while visualizing the scene.

"No matter how hard the doctors tried to get the squirtle out of the way," said Jenny. "He wouldn't leave his trainer's side."

Clefairy and Growlithe nodded to themselves. If something like that were to happen to Ash, they knew that they would behave the same way.

"The doctors back at the hospital deduced that the boy was attacked by an angry flock of spearow. The damn birds mutilated his flesh and left him to die."

Ash and Growlithe scowled, thinking back to their run in with the flock of pissed-off spearow on the first day of their journey. If they hadn't come across that basin back then, something similar would have probably happened to them.

"The doctor's didn't think he'd make it," continued Jenny. "But miraculously… he came out of a coma about a week after his final surgery. By this time, his parents had long since arrived on the scene. The doctor's wouldn't let them see him until he had finally come out of unconsciousness. It might sound kind of backwards, but the surgeons were having a difficult enough time working around the immoveable squirtle."

"And what happened when they saw him?" blurted Ash, unable to control himself.

Officer Jenny excused his interruption, before carrying on. "Obviously they were devastated. Their ten-year old child was barely recognizable. Wild Pokemon attacks weren't necessarily unheard of, but one of this magnitude, well...it was pretty disturbing."

Ash nodded, he could only imagine.

"As hard as the parents took it…the boy's reaction was much worse. He could hardly look at himself without vomiting. His new reflection haunted him. He grew to hate pokemon, labeling them as evil. His parents tried to explain that not all pokemon were corrupt, but he wouldn't listen. And the saddest part of all…was that he took all of his newfound anger out on the squirtle that had preserved his life."

Ash frowned, he had a feeling Squirtle's story was going to go this way...

"The boy wanted nothing to do with pokemon. When he was well enough to leave the hospital, he exterminated his trainer-account, before hatefully releasing every pokemon he had ever caught…including squirtle. He abandoned all of them right outside town-limits. In the part of the woods that you saw the squirtle squad escape through earlier today."

Clefairy sorrowfully looked down at the ground, while Growlithe quietly whined.

"All of his pokemon were heart-broken," said Jenny. "But one-by-one, at their own pace, they all went their separate ways. However, ever since that day, Squirtle's never left. Some say, it's because he still hopes his trainer will someday come back for him. But I don't think so. I think that at that moment in time, his confusion turned into a grudge. He began to hate humankind, because the only person he'd ever come to love hated _his_ kind. He decided to take out his twisted anger on our little town, probably because the only attachment he has to it involves malice and mistrust."

Ash sorrowfully looked down at the ground, before he thought curiously about an important detail.

"Where did the rest of the _Squirtle Squad _come from?" questioned Ash.

"I'm getting there," grumbled Jenny. "Dammit kid, you're more impatient then a preschooler."

"I'm Sorry, I'm sorry!" babbled Ash, as he waved his arms back and forth. "It won't happen again."

"Well anyways," continued Jenny, slightly amused by Ash's frenzied display. "The rest of the squirtle gradually started to show up over time."

Ash gave Jenny a peculiar look, while Clefairy and Growlithe perked up with interest.

"My guess…is that he's recruited other abandoned squirtle with a vendetta against humans," explained Jenny. "But there are other theories out there. No one really knows for sure."

Ash remained silent, as he patiently waited for Jenny to continue.

"That's all I got kid," said Jenny. "You can ask questions now, although I can't promise I'll have answers."

Ash honestly thought he'd have some. But he didn't. Officer Jenny had pretty much explained everything he wanted to know. The rest was most likely just fluff.

"I'm good," replied Ash. "Thanks for sharing."

"Good," stated Jenny simply. "You handled that story pretty well…most people don't."

"I've had an interesting week," heckled Ash.

Jenny raised an eyebrow, before excusing the comment. "Well anyway, I think we should talk about this plan."

"I agree," retorted Ash. "Now what do you have in mind? If you can draw them out and help me distract the other seven squirtle, I'll gladly take on the leader."

Jenny squinted, as she racked her brain.

"The Squirtle Squad is awfully predictable when it comes to food," said Jenny. "If we throw a banquet, they'll doubtlessly show up."

"You really think it'll be that easy?" asked Ash. "I mean, hasn't the gang been wreaking havoc for like a year? Shouldn't they be a little more difficult to reel in?"

"Oh…yeah," answered Jenny. "They're almost guaranteed to show up; but don't let your guard down. Trust me, they'll have a plan… the bastards always do. Remember, just because they're easy to find, doesn't mean they'll be easy to catch."

Ash nodded his head. "So our plan's a banquet?"

"Yup," replied Jenny. "It's going to _friggin_' work too, trust me."

"If you say so..." said Ash skeptically.

"Just worry about catching the _leader_ kid," suggested Jenny. "I'll take care of the rest."

"That sounds like a relatively simple strategy," retorted Ash.

"The difficult part is going to be executing," said Jenny, waving her finger back and forth. "The little devils are tricky."

"I'll take your word for it," said Ash, standing up out of his chair. "Now let's get this show on the road."

Growlithe and Clefairy hopped to their feet, ready to trigger the plan.

"Hold on a second kid," sputtered Jenny. "Before we do anything, I got a question to ask you."

"What is it?" asked Ash curiously.

Jenny looked at Ash with a straight face. "What the hell's your name?"

XXX

The town was wild, as the majority of the populace had disregarded whatever they were doing in order partake in the rambunctious party. Ash observed, as hundreds of people swarmed together, looking to enjoy the impromptu festivities.

It was Officer Jenny's idea to hold the banquet at the town's event-center. The pavilion was situated in the center of town. It was expansive, occupying around fifty-thousand square-feet.

Ash was impressed by the setup. With less than a day's notice, Jenny and the rest of the police station had put together an extremely entertaining banquet. There was pleasant music, fun games, and a plethora of different food options. The ten-year old boy had to admit, he was enjoying himself…

After explaining to Clefairy that it was inappropriate to stand on the buffet table, they both sat down to eat with an elegantly dressed up Officer Jenny. The food was delicious, but they were careful not to overeat. If things went according to plan and chaos unfolded, they didn't want to be running around with bloated stomachs.

"Where's your Growlithe kid?" asked Jenny. "I was under the impression that you kept him outside of his pokeball."

Ash shrugged. "He doesn't do well around a lot of people."

"Oh really," said Jenny. "Social anxiety?"

"Yeah," replied Ash. "I've been trying exposure therapy, but releasing him under these circumstances would be cruel."

Officer Jenny laughed. "No…it'll be cruel if you don't destroy the phobia before the league tournament."

"Why's that?" asked Ash

"Do you know how many people watch a league match, kid?" questioned Jenny.

"Crap," retorted Ash. "I didn't think about that."

"Well you better _friggin_' start thinking about it," said Jenny. "Social anxiety can be as debilitating as the most potent thunder-wave. You don't want your Growlithe freezing in front of the whole region, do you?"

Jenny had a good point. He'd have to start taking Growlithe's phobia a little more seriously.

Ash's rumination was cut-short by an ear splitting shriek that came from somewhere behind him. He knowingly eyed Jenny, before shifting his gaze back towards the howl. A middle-aged woman was frenziedly pointing in the direction of the buffet table, her facial expression portrayed fear.

Ash used his eyes to follow her line of sight - he didn't see anything.

"They're here," whispered Jenny. "I told you they wouldn't be able to resist."

"I don't see anything," said Ash. "How do you know?"

"Trust me…they're here," warned Jenny. "Those bastards are the only thing that could trigger a reaction like that in this town."

Ash tried to stand up, but Jenny firmly grabbed him by the arm before he had the chance.

"Dammit Ash, be patient!" hissed Jenny. "This is my job. Focus on figuring out how you're going to take out the leader."

Ash shot Jenny a glare, before obediently sitting down. "Fine…"

"I like your spunk kid…" whispered Jenny. "But what's the _friggin_' point in a plan, if you don't carry it out."

Ash nodded, while Jenny playfully patted him on the shoulder.

Jenny proceeded to extract a palm-sized walkie-talkie out of her seemingly expensive, black, leather purse. Ash watched, as she held down a button on the side of the device.

"Begin the operation," ordered Jenny. "Surround the pavilion. Don't leave any holes to breach. The Squirtle Squad has entered the venue."

A few seconds passed by before feedback came through. "Affirmative boss, should we proceed to evacuate the guests?"

"Let me handle phase two unless I say otherwise," answered Jenny. "I've got an idea."

"Roger," replied the male voice on the other end of the walkie-talkie.

Officer Jenny stood up from the table. "Stay here kid…I'll be right back."

"Sounds good boss," heckled Ash, while he stroked Clefairy behind the ears. "We'll do as told for now."

Officer Jenny smirked. "You better _friggin_' catch it kid. If you don't, I'll make you pay back every single penny the department spent on this damn party."

Ash sarcastically chuckled. "If you do your job, I'll do mine."

"Oh…I'll do my job," said Jenny, as she swaggered away. "Just watch brat."

Ash did as told, watching as Officer Jenny's long dark-blue dress entrancingly waved back and forth, as she strutted in the direction that the wailing lady had pointed to earlier.

"Come one, come all!" bellowed Officer Jenny. "Outside of the venue we are holding a very exciting raffle!"

Ash caught on to what the amber-eyed woman was doing.

"We'll be giving away all sorts of pokemon apparel!" yelled Jenny. "Pokeballs, t-shirts, hats, movies, stuffed animals, gift-cards, and cash prizes! If you can think of it, we got it!"

Officer Jenny headed back towards Ash, as the mass of people began to flood out of the event-center in a high-paced frenzy.

"Well that was easy enough," said Jenny with a smirk. "Nothing gets people moving faster than free crap."

"Well done," said Ash. "It looks like you've cleared out the venue."

"Hell yeah," replied Jenny. "I gave the Squirtle Squad the perfect opportunity to make their move. At least...that's what they think."

Ash smirked. "We'll see if they take the bait."

It took a couple of minutes for everyone to clear out. Ash was surprised - he didn't think her plan would be so '_friggin_' effective. The venue was quiet. Other than Officer Jenny and himself, no one else was visible. They waited anxiously. If Officer Jenny's plan worked, the Squirtle Squad could make a move towards the buffet table at any moment.

"Can you pick up on their movements?" asked Ash to Clefairy.

Clefairy used her enhanced hearing, like a colander, to remove all of the sounds that didn't match a squirtle's signature movement pattern. She zeroed in on them, deciphering eight distinctly similar movement patterns over by the buffet table.

Ash watched, as Clefairy pointed over to the long, far-reaching, buffet table.

"Yeah… I know that's what they're looking for," said a confused Ash. "But where are they right now?"

Clefairy continued to insistently point at the buffet table.

Officer Jenny rolled her eyes. "Yeah we already know that the foods what they want."

Clefairy vigorously walked the long-distance towards the buffet table, frustrated that she wasn't being understood. When she was close enough to make her point, she crouched down towards the ground and pointed underneath the table. The lengthy table was decorated by fine black linens; they draped over the side, concealing the window of space between the table and ground.

"Oh…" said Ash and Jenny simultaneously.

"So how should we approach this?" asked Ash.

Jenny lowered her eyebrows in thought, before taking the walkie-talkie out of her purse for the second time. "I've got it covered."

She pressed the button on the side of the device and spoke into the walkie-talkie's microphone. "Is phase three complete?"

"Roger," replied the rough male voice. "We're ready for the final phase on your command."

"What was phase three?" asked Ash curiously.

"We had to inform the town's people what was going on," explained Officer Jenny. "Now they won't interfere."

"Smart," replied Ash. "I was wondering how they'd respond to the commotion."

Officer Jenny nodded, before speaking into the walkie-talkie again. "Standby, wait for my command."

"Roger."

"What do you say, want to get a little _friggin_' messy kid?" asked Jenny, directed towards Ash. "I'll give you the honors."

Ash followed what Jenny was saying. "I've got the perfect pokemon for the job."

He released Pidgeotto from suspended animation. The flying-type immediately leered in the direction of the buffet table. Apparently, Ash didn't need to explain the situation. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the baffled stare on Jenny's face, as she admiringly gawked at Pidgeotto's monstrous size.

"Do you want a big mess, or a slightly smaller mess?" asked Ash.

Jenny shook the surprise off of her face and shrugged. "This party's as good as over. We might as well go big."

Ash smirked. "You heard her Pidgeotto, twister it is."

Pidgeotto's eyes turned savage, as he used both wings to draw upon the atmosphere's rich draconic energy. The surrounding air shrieked like a banshee, as it interacted with the controlled draconic vortex.

Ash tightly held on to his hat, careful not to let it get caught up in the carnage. Jenny's hair went wild in response to the windy ruckus. Clefairy stood firm, not allowing the behemoth's power to overthrow her balance.

The dark-haired boy looked straight ahead. He watched as one of the squirtle peak its head out from behind the linen. Its jaw dropped, as it witnessed the source behind the sound. It concealed itself back within the cloth and reemerged seconds later, accompanied by seven more squirtle heads.

Ash giggled, as he noticed the blotches of food smeared all over their faces. Apparently, they'd been having a feast under the buffet table the entire time. He zeroed in on the _leader_, who tilted his sunglasses to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

Out of his peripheral's, Ash watched Pidgeotto violently propel his purple-tinted twister. It streaked across the pavilion as fast as a raichu, sucking up various objects along the way. The Squirtle Squad scampered expeditiously, barely clearing the atrocious attack. The buffet table was turbulently ripped from the ground and launched a far distance. The twister mindlessly catapulted the food in every which direction, resulting in an unappetizing mess.

Ash frowned, disappointed by the outcome. He was hoping that at least one squirtle would get caught up in the raging tempest. The dark-haired boy watched the Squirtle Squad, as they jetted towards the edge of the pavilion in attempt to escape. The troupe moved like a calculated machine, following their leader in what appeared to be a pre-planned formation.

"Initiate the final phase," commanded Jenny, as she spoke into the walkie-talkie. "The bastards are on the move!"

Ash hastily released Bulbasaur, wisely inviting him in on the fray. The saurian's elemental advantage would come in handy during the battle to break-up the _Squirtle_ _Squad_.

"Pidgeotto, go get the _leader_!" bellowed Ash. "Clefairy, Bulbasaur, give Pidgeotto support!"

Pidgeotto wasted no time. He went airborne, tearing through the pavilion's available sky. Ash could tell he craved battle by the devilish expression on his face. The raptor-like avian left mayhem in his wake, as a result of the harsh subsequent air-current he created during flight.

Bulbasaur hastily sprinted after his comrade, protruding his vines in preparation to assist. Clefairy followed his lead, taking a well-analyzed pursuit-angle in order to quickly cover the distance between herself and the squadron of squirtle.

Jenny cursed impatiently. "Where the hell's my damn squad?"

Right on cue, a dozen police officers barreled into the pavilion. They were accompanied by several pokemon. Most of them were either normal, or grass-types. Ash spotted several gloom and oddish, along with multiple raticate, and one rare eevee. The short little fox pokemon was the first of its species that Ash had seen on his journey. It was excruciatingly cute; the fur on its body was a glistening light brown, complimented nicely by the off-white-colored tuft around its neck.

"Surround them, don't let them get away!" commanded Jenny.

The myriad of officers efficiently encompassed the eight panicked squirtle. They hastily closed in on them, doing their best to carry out Jenny's orders.

Pidgeotto combatively collided with the leader, who wasn't prepared to take on the airborne assault. Pidgeotto clawed at Squirtle's withdrawn body, using his immense talons to heave the leader out of the chaotic skirmish.

"This time you can't let it get away!" yelled Ash. "I'm going to catch him!"

Pidgeotto nodded and engaged in combat. He menacingly darted his eyes towards Bulbasaur, who tried to interfere with a vine-whip to the leader's shell. Ash saw this and changed his plan of action. It was obvious Pidgeotto wanted to take the leader on one-on-one.

"Bulbasaur, Clefairy, let Pidgeotto take on the leader!" barked Ash. "Go help subdue the rest of the squad!"

Clefairy and Bulbasaur hesitated…before dashing off in order to follow orders. Ash proudly observed, as Bulbasaur jumped into the massive brawl using his vines to hammer down one of the subordinate squirtle. With a powerful pound, Clefairy used her fists to engage another squirtle. When it came to physical combat, Ash's fairy-type definitely wasn't one to be underestimated.

Ash moved his attention back to the main event. The _leader_ was no longer withdrawn. It accurately shot several highly condensed water-guns in the direction of the airborne Pidgeotto. The _leader_ had an unfeeling expression painted across his face, as he tried to hit Pidgeotto with a barrage of whistling water-guns.

Pidgeotto meticulously dodged, using his quick attack to repetitively avoid the turret-like assault. He joined the long-ranged shoot-out with some high powered gusts. As fast as squirtle could fire, he still needed to take a breath to reload.

Squirtle changed his approach, surprising Pidgeotto with a widespread bubble attack. The highly concentrated buoyant solution exploded upon contact, causing legitimate damage. Pidgeotto grimaced, as he endured the elemental strike. Because Squirtle's unexpected attack utilized identical form in comparison to water-gun, there was no tell of a shift in strategy.

The flying-type shook it off and hastily conjured a devastating twister. He flung it at the leader, sadistically looking to inflict pain. The scope of the cyclone was too commodious for the leader to dodge. He withdrew into his shell in attempt to shield himself from a direct attack. The impact was harsh, the explosive contact the twister made when it hit the ground sounded like a meteor hitting the earth's surface.

When the dust cleared, Squirtle was still standing strong. There was some damage, but not much. It appeared that his sturdy shell had somehow diminished the brunt of the attack. The one notable difference in the leader's image, was that his glasses had been knocked off. Squirtle's eyes were cold and distant, bearing the full weight of the hellish life he had endured.

Ash briefly changed his focus. He proudly smiled as he saw Clefairy and Bulbasaur wreak a noticeable amount of havoc, amidst the already chaotic battlefield.

"'There are five squirtle left excluding the leader," said Jenny. "Your' Bulbasaur and one of our gloom each took a squirtle out. Clefairy's close to beating another."

"Thanks for the update," replied Ash. "keep em coming…"

"I'm not a _friggin'_ league broadcaster," retorted Jenny. "But I guess…I'll try."

Ash laughed at Jenny's comment, as he turned his attention back towards his avian. The _leader_ was doused in pidgeotto's down feathers. Ash immediately came to the conclusion that Pidgeotto must have performed feather-dance, while his focus was elsewhere. Unfortunately, Ash didn't think that it would make a big difference in the outcome of the battle. Feather-dance really only lessened the damage of physical attacks. Squirtle were known for their long-ranged elemental combat ability. The species didn't usually learn to fight with its body's until the wartortle stage. Regardless, it was nice to see Pidgeotto's progress. He was getting a handle on the unique status technique faster than originally anticipated.

Squirtle desperately continued to try and hit Pidgeotto with his water-gun. Every so often he'd change it up and spit-out a bubble attack, but he'd already used that trick on Pidgeotto once. The avian wouldn't let it happen again.

The flying-type viciously used both wings to consecutively impel gusts down on the leader. Ash could tell Pidgeotto was enjoying himself - the flying-type's expression was boarder line euphoric.

The clashing of Pidgeotto and Squirtle's inherent elements, created a wildly concise hurricane. Squirtle's countenance remained cold and bitter. His knifelike eyes were as sharp as a samurai's blade. Ash wondered if the sunglasses were meant to conceal his icy violet gaze. Squirtle's species' purple irises were known for their beauty, Ash was flabbergasted by the indisputable physical toll of corruption.

Pidgeotto shackled his wings, abruptly using quick attack to dive in close to Squirtle. The leader showed emotion for the first time, surprised by Pidgeotto's decisive move into a closer proximity. He fired two high-velocity water guns; one barely missed to the right, the other trimmed a feather off of Pidgeotto's intimidating face.

Pidgeotto chortled malignantly, as he met squirtle face-to-face. He used his right wing to thrust an authoritative gust at squirtle, sending him flying across the pavilion. Ash saw a slight scowl from the _leader_, before the turtle pokemon enshrouded himself within his shell. His durable biological shield smashed into the ground, leaving a long streak of dug up gravel in its wake.

Ash's focus was broken by the sound of Jenny's voice.

"Four of his subordinates remain," said Jenny. "Clefairy just finished one of them off with a bizarre combination. Bulbasaur and eevee are working together to take on another one."

"Disarming voice and double slap?" asked Ash. "It's surprisingly very effective."

"That sounds about right," replied Jenny. "Damn…Bulbasaur just threw his body at that squirtle!"

Ash transferred his line of sight over to the brawl. His saurian grass-type was shaking off the inconvenient recoil of an _aggressive_ take-down. The poor squirtle lied on its back unconscious, spinning slowly on its shell.

"Now there's only three," reported Jenny. "I'm impressed by your pokemon kid."

Ash gave no response, as he was once again centralized on Pidgeotto's battle. Squirtle was back on his feet, the tough turtle finally showed visual signs of damage. Regardless, he still had fight left in him. He responded to the close-ranged gust by ferociously charging Pidgeotto. His arms were extended behind him, as he leaned forward, using his thick scull to pierce through the resisting wind like an arrow punctures its target.

Descending at an incredible rate, Pidgeotto met the _leader _head on. He restrained his wings and hardened his neck muscles with intention to create a percussive collision.

Right before contact, Squirtle withdrew into his shell. He skillfully slid underneath the flying-type, catching him completely off guard. When he conclusively cleared the avian's underside, the water-type erupted out of concealment. Using his momentum, he skated across the gravel with his cold violet eyes planted on Pidgeotto's backside. He ruthlessly unloaded, showering Pidgeotto in a battery of pressurized water.

Pidgeotto shrieked as he painfully crashed to the ground. The flying-type turbulently rolled across the earth's surface, squawking throughout the entire agonizing process. Ash dolefully winced throughout the crash. Dust went everywhere, causing the boy to cover his eyes to avoid irritation.

When the cloud of dirt dissipated, Pidgeotto was standing exhaustively. He was in bad condition. His body was bruised and battered. Ash grimaced; he hadn't seen Pidgeotto in this kind of shape since his battle with Growlithe back in the Viridian Forest.

Squirtle gave Pidgeotto a deadpanned smirk, impressed by his own handiwork. He then mockingly glared at Ash, intentionally trying to get under his skin.

Ash broadly smiled; this kind of attitude actually intensified his desire to catch the _leader_. Besides, if Squirtle was under the impression that he had won, he was in for an unfortunate surprise. Squirtle's benumbed arrogance would lead to his bungling demise.

Ash observed, as the leader turned back around to shockingly find Pidgeotto within arms-reach. The bird's minacious eyes were primitive and ruthless; lost behind the dishonorable image of Squirtle mocking his trainer. One in each wing…the raptor-like avian created two highly concentrated diminutive twisters. With a scowl on his face, he subsequently smashed the flustered Squirtle in-between the two howling tempests. The draconic energy in both cyclones clashed, emitting an ear-shattering screech. Intermixed with Squirtle's howl it sounded like a steam engine with a faulty blast-pipe.

"Check-mate," said Ash, as he detached an empty pokeball. "It's good to be confident, but cockiness…well it usually leads to clumsiness."

Squirtle's form was revealed as the binary-twister deteriorated. He lied on the ground unconscious, uncomfortably sprawled out on his belly. Pidgeotto hovered over to Squirtle's feeble body, overwhelmingly satisfied with his victory. The avian proceeded to discharge a triumphant outcry, before walking off to the side to preen his filthy feathers.

Ash smiled while launching the empty pokeball at the leader. It smoothly made contact, before engulfing the impressive Squirtle in a radiant red light. Squirtle's body was converted into pliant energy that was instantly consumed by Ash's pokeball. It roughly fell to the ground, and clicked, indicating a clean capture.

Ash turned to Jenny and sarcastically winked. "I told you I'd catch him."

"Shut up," jested Jenny. "Now go thank your Pidgeotto. He did all the work."

"Good point," said Ash with a shrug. "But don't forget, he's the one that didn't want any help. I was only respecting his decision."

"_Psht…_whatever you say kid," ragged Jenny. "By the way, Bulbasaur just knocked his third squirtle out with another _friggin'_ _nasty_ vine-whip. And his poison-powder was partially responsible for another K.O. that our station's eevee just delivered."

As Ash neared Pidgeotto, he tuned into the_ one-sided_ brawl, just in time to watch Clefairy knock the final remaining squirtle out with a vicious double-slap. The dark-haired boy grinned, happy that all of their recent hard work had paid off. The fruition of training was clearly evident throughout today's battle.

"A little tougher than usual," said Ash, as he approached his flying-type.

Pidgeotto softened his eyes in response to his trainer.

"That _variance_ on twister was pretty creative," said Ash.

Pidgeotto cackled sadistically, as he resumed the preening of his feathers.

"I say we come up with a name for that one later," laughed Ash. "I'd like to add that to your repertoire."

The avian delightedly nodded his head, before using his bruised wing to point towards Squirtle's idle pokeball.

"I'll get it in a second," replied Ash. "I just wanted to thank you. You battled hard today."

Pidgeotto gave Ash an affectionate look, before unexpectedly bending over to tap the button on his pokeball. The flying-type was in pain from the battle and deeply desired suspended animation, until Ash could apply a potion. The raptor-like avian's personality never ceased to be amusing. The ten-year old boy giggled, as Pidgeotto was instantaneously vacuumed into the pokeball fastened to his trainer belt.

Ash proceeded to retrieve his freshly caught squirtle's pokeball. He internally celebrated, extremely thrilled over his latest capture. With squirtle on his team, he now possessed all three "_original" _Kanto starters, an accomplishment he wasn't expecting to achieve when he left Pallet Town. He also had his first water-type, which would greatly balance the dynamics of his team.

Moreover, the _former leader _of the _Squirtle Squad_ was a highly talented specimen. He didn't think Squirtle would be technically classified as a giant. Nevertheless, he was large for his kind. Ash couldn't wait to start training him. Even though, he had a feeling that the stony-eyed turtle was going to be a hassle to get through to. The young trainer didn't mind though. Ash had yet to have a significant challenge to attain a pokemon's loyalty. He'd have to be an idiot to suspect that every pokemon's allegiance would be _so_ _easy_ to persuade.

While handling Squirtle's pokeball, Ash joined Jenny over by where the brawl had taken place. Bulbasaur and Clefairy scampered over to his side, both of his pokemon had a few scrapes and some small bruises, but neither had taken any consequential damage.

"I heard that you two put a whooping on the _Squirtle Squad," _said Ash, as he crouched down to praise his friends.

"They sure did," blurted a random officer. "_Five_ in total, our eevee managed to get in a knock out though."

"Don't forget Gloom," inserted a rough looking officer. "She took one out with a mega-drain attack."

"Which gloom?" asked a female officer.

"The one that I always use," replied the officer. "You think I'd be bragging about somebody else's gloom?"

"Shut up you two," grumbled a bulky man with a familiar voice.

It took Ash a moment to sort out why the man's voice sounded familiar, but he eventually figured it out. The course voice belonged to the man that Jenny was communicating with over the walkie-talkie. The boy also recognized the middle-aged man as one of the _silent_ officers that was accompanying Jenny when they first met.

The officer that Ash assumed to be second in command turned his attention to Jenny. "Officer Jenny, all seven subordinate squad members have been detained. I didn't get a chance to take my eyes off of the _donnybrook_, but I assume the _leader_ has been captured?"

Officer Jenny placed a hand on Ash's shoulder. "He sure has. The _friggin_' kid defeated that bastard a couple of minutes ago."

Ash once again ignored Jenny's vulgar language. He figured she didn't mean anything personal by it.

"Yup," said Ash, as he held Squirtle's pokeball out to show the force. "He's right in here."

Bulbasaur picked Ash up with his vines in celebration, causing the town's police department to erratically break-out into an uproar. Ash couldn't help but react with laughter, as his usually serious Bulbasaur hoisted him above the celebrating crowd. Out of his peripherals, he saw Officer Jenny's joyful smile. His initial thought was that she was smiling at him. But then he noticed that she was _locked_ onto the pokeball in his hand.

Ash assumed she _did_ beforehand…but now he knew for sure. The smile on her face confirmed it…

It seemed the no-nonsense Jenny, had a _soft_ _spot_ for the "bastard" _leader _after all.

XXX

"What are you going to do with the rest of the _Squirtle Squad?"_ asked Ash, as he sat down with Officer Jenny in her private office.

"_Hmmm_…" she replied. "We've actually put a lot of thought into what we're going to do with the rest of em…"

"And…?" questioned Ash.

"Well...they were detained using our _league customized _pokeballs," explained Jenny. "So they're no longer considered _wild _pokemon."

"_League customized _pokeballs_?" _asked Ash. "What are those?"

"You ask a lot of _friggin' _questions kid," complained Jenny.

Ash smirked. "I'm a curious kid, what can I say?"

"Just be careful out there," warned Jenny. "If you ask the wrong people the wrong questions, you can get yourself into trouble. The world doesn't always respond well to nosy people."

"I'll keep that in mind," answered Ash earnestly. "But you're not the wrong person…so can you please tell me what the_ customized _pokeballs are?"

Jenny sighed, while rolling her eyes. "We call them _snare _balls. They're basically pokeballs designed specifically for the league's police _section_. They automatically register a pokemon into league custody - which is _very_ convenient. On top of that, they can override a trainer's registration, allowing an officer to _temporarily_ confine a misused captured pokemon."

"Interesting," said Ash. "Are they stronger than a standard pokeball?"

"Um… A little bit," replied Officer Jenny. "In terms of potency they probably range somewhere between a pokeball and a great ball."

"Gotcha," said Ash. "So that means that the other _Squirtle Squad _members are now league property."

"Essentially," replied Jenny. "But we're still debating protocol. The buggers have a pretty lengthy rap sheet. However, it doesn't make sense for us to report them to league HQ, especially since we're allowing their leader to get away pretty much scot-free."

"What other options are there?" asked Ash.

"Well there's a few…" said Jenny. "But I don't really feel like listing all of them off. Instead, I'll just tell you which one were leaning towards."

Ash nodded. "Fair enough."

Officer Jenny huffed, as she rested her chin on her palm. "We've pretty much settled on some type of probation. As for severity and length...that's still relatively up in the air."

"Probation?" asked Ash. "How does that work with pokemon?"

Jenny leaned back cozily in her swivel chair. "It's pretty simple. They'd basically assume roles as squad pokemon, until they've either completed their _probation_ sentence, or been released back into the _wild_ due to good behavior.

"So the town's dreaded _Squirtle Squad_ would become your ally, eh?" laughed Ash. "Kind of ironic don't you think?"

"In a way," retorted Jenny. "But if irony is what it takes to straighten those bastards out, I'm all for it."

"I bet," giggled Ash.

"So what are your plans, Ash?"

The dark-haired boy smirked. "I'm headed towards Vermillion City. I plan on taking on Lt. Surge."

"Surge, eh?" said Jenny, while sitting up perkily in her chair. "Tell the bastard I say hello!"

"You know him?" asked Ash confusedly.

"Hell yeah I know surge!" bellowed Jenny. "He's an old drinking partner of mine."

"Small world," replied Ash. "I'll make sure to mention you."

"Don't _friggin_' forget," answered Officer Jenny. "I haven't seen him for a while. I'd like him to know that I'm doing well."

Ash's facial expression portrayed seriousness. "Don't worry, I've got you covered. Do you have any pointers?"

"I'll tell you one thing…you better _friggin_' be prepared kid," said Jenny. "Surge isn't a joke."

Ash broadly smiled. "I know…r_aichu_ and a _voltorb_ right?"

"Yeah, that's his _league_ registered team," answered Jenny. "Most people don't have too much trouble with his voltorb. But Raichu…well let's just say I wish you _good_ luck."

"Gee thanks…" replied Ash sarcastically. "I'm glad you have so much faith in me."

"Cut the sarcasm," grumbled Jenny. "It's starting to get annoying."

"Yes mam," Ash jested, with a salute.

Officer Jenny grumbled something under her breath, before changing the subject. "Alright kid. So how are you planning on dealing with the _leader?"_

Ash placed a hand under his chin. "That's tough, I'm not quite sure yet."

"At least you're honest," replied Jenny. "He is gonna be one tough cookie to crack."

"I know…" said Ash. "But I can be patient. Squirtle's for the most part a luxury catch, so it's okay if he doesn't come around for a while."

"That's a good way to look at it," said the female officer. "You're a smart kid."

"Thanks," answered Ash, while scratching the back of his head bashfully. "That actually means a lot coming from you."

Officer Jenny smiled. "No problem kid, just stating the facts, that's all."

Ash's corresponding smile was cut-short by a yawn. "Well, it's probably about time I get going."

"It's going to get dark in a little bit, you sure you don't want to crash here at the station?" offered Jenny.

"It's an enticing offer," replied Ash, as he stood up from his chair. "But I think I'd rather use up the rest of the sun, and cover as much ground as I can. I'm afraid if I keep getting distracted I'll never make it to Vermillion."

"If you say so..." said Jenny.

Officer Jenny proceeded to stand up from her chair, before leading Ash out of the station. There was still plenty of light from the sun. Ash figured he probably had a couple of hours until he'd be forced to set up camp. Officer Jenny explained to Ash the best way to get back onto the main path. He always had the satellite synced _GPS_ map on his pokedex, but getting directions every once in a while from another human being was _quite_ refreshing.

"I'll make sure to say hello to Surge for you," said Ash. "I can't guarantee when though…"

"Well it's about a four and a half day walk from here," replied Jenny. "But I take it you tend to get distracted."

"That's an understatement," laughed Ash. "My journey's always entertaining. Four and half days without being side tracked would be a miracle."

"Well you better get moving then," said Officer Jenny. "It sounds like you need as much spare time as possible."

"You're probably right," said Ash, while shaking Jenny's firm hand. "Thanks for everything."

"Take it easy kid," replied Jenny, with a smirk. "I'll be looking for you on the television during the league conference."

"And you'll find me," said Ash.

"I _friggin_' better," ragged Jenny. "I expect you to at least make it to the top sixteen."

"We'll see," retorted Ash. "Anyway, I really should get going. If I'm ever around this part of the region again, I'll make sure to stop by."

"Sounds good kid," replied Jenny. "Next time I see you, I expect you to have an obedient beast of a blastoise on your team."

"Obedient…?" Ash mumbled. "More like manageable."

"_Psht…_when it comes to that bastard," said Jenny. "Manageable is good enough."

XXX

"You two battled great back there," said Ash, as he walked down the trail accompanied by Growlithe and Bulbasaur. "That kid didn't stand a chance."

It was early morning. A couple of days had gone by since the incident with the_ Squirtle Squad_. They had only packed up camp about an hour before Ash was challenged by some annoying brat. The arrogant boy wanted a two-on-two match. Ash complied, mostly in order to deflate the boy's humongous ego.

The cocky kid's first pokemon was a pretty _sorry_ weepinbell. Its clumsiness led Ash to believe that it had probably just recently evolved. The pathetic grass-type didn't land a single attack.

Growlithe's intimidating leer, followed by a tenacious bite/ember combo, made quick work of the _outlandish_ flycatcher-pokemon.

Bulbasaur's battle was just as easy, but way more entertaining. The brat used a geodude - which had a super-effective _disadvantage_ against the _rare_ saurian grass-type. All Bulbasaur had to do was activate chlorophyll and plant a leech seed on the rock-type. Ash found it incredibly amusing to watch the frustrated kid repetitively stomp his foot in frustration, while Bulbasaur made geodude "it" in his _energy draining _game of "tag".

The aggravating kid left in a tantrum. Ash, Growlithe, and Bulbasaur had been on the _go_ ever since. The dark-haired boy decided to let Bulbasaur stay outside of his pokeball. He figured the grass-type would enjoy the _verdant_ scenery.

The trail was gradually getting greener, as they continued to near the southeastern coast of Kanto. The air was crisp; it reminded him of the alluring fresh air that dwindled about amongst the surrounding routes of Cerulean City.

"We should reach the ocean sometime today," said Ash. "From there we can basically follow the coast all the way to Vermillion."

Bulbasaur and Growlithe nodded with a smile. Growlithe had already experienced a large body of water before. But this would be Bulbasaur's very first time seeing the ocean. Ash could tell he was excited for the upcoming experience.

Ash looked down at Bulbasaur, as the light from the sun caused the seed-pokemon's bulb to glisten. "Did Melanie tell you anything about the ocean?"

Bulbasaur grunted, as he responded with a positive gesture.

"She must have told you how amazing it is," said Ash.

Bulbasaur continued to react excitably.

"You're going to love it," said Ash. "There's the smell of the air - the sandy beach - the humbling reality that you are _so _small compared to the _vastness_ of the water."

Bulbasaur couldn't wait. It was just one more new thing that he was going to get to experience with his self-descried, _chosen, _trainer. Melanie had told him so many stories about how the ocean was seemingly limitless, and that there are so many pokemon that could be found within its expansive depths.

"I can't wait to show it to you," said Ash.

Bulbasaur secretly smiled at Growlithe, who knowingly beamed back.

Yup...they had the best trainer the world.

XXX

"Beautiful, isn't it?" questioned Ash, as they walked across the soft sandy beach.

Growlithe, Clefairy, Charmander, and Bulbasaur answered amicably in their own language, while soaking in the captivating view. The grand body of water was magnificent enough in its own right. The fact that it was sublimely enriched by the sky's ravishing sunset was frankly _icing on the cake._

"What do you think Bulbasaur?" asked Ash. "Is it everything I made it out to be?"

Bulbasaur happily nodded, as his scarlet red-eyes glimmered amidst the cogent orange sunlight.

"Good…I'm glad," said Ash. "What about you Charmander? What do you think?"

Charmander delightedly squealed. His tail-flame shined the same tangelo-orange that was painted across the darkening sky.

"This is so great," commented Ash. "There's nothing quite like being able to walk along the beach with your friends."

Growlithe playfully howled in response to Ash's statement. Clefairy eagerly fidgeted, she was just excited for the converging night.

"We should probably head back to the main trail though…" suggested Ash. "The sand might feel nice on my feet, but it's not very kind to my muscles."

All four pokemon confirmed their approval with an acquiescent grunt.

Ash arduously led his pokemon off of the beach and back up onto the main trail. They traveled the path for nearly an hour, all the while the light from the sun gradually languished. Just when Ash felt that it was about time to set up camp, Charmander spotted a revolving light aimlessly illuminating amidst the _inky_ horizon.

"What's that?" thought Ash aloud, as his eyes followed the vertiginous beam.

The dizzying light came from the direction of the ocean. In order to distinguish the source, he beckoned his pokemon to follow him back down to the beach. When they emerged from the lush brushwood, back out onto the oceanfront, they spotted a tall ominous lighthouse situated on a cliff-side. The cliff-side protruded from the upper mainland, out and across the beach like a pier. It held the lighthouse like a pedestal; the eerie tower projected _the_ lustrous beam from its upper kerosene lamp.

Ash swiveled his head with a smile, looking at his four released friends peculiarly. They knowingly glanced at each other, clearly seeing the desire in their trainer's eyes.

"We've got to go check it out!" implored Ash. "I've never been to a lighthouse before!"

Growlithe, Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Clefairy simultaneously shrugged. They didn't see a problem with the request...It was on the way.

However, Growlithe internally giggled. His best-friend was _so_ predictable.

XXX

The eerie lighthouse towered over them, as they stood out front of its colossal front entrance. The large stone double-doors were artistically designed, engraved with numerous hieroglyphic-like images of rare pokemon. Like a blind-man reads brail, he gently ran his fingers over the ridges that outlined the different illustrations: _arcanine, clefable, venusaur, electabuzz, scyther, gengar, alakazam, Articuno…etc._

"These are amazing," said Ash aloud, as he carefully inspected the detailed enchasing.

Like a torch, Charmander dutifully held up his tail flame, thus allowing his trainer to get a better look.

"Oh look here," said Ash towards his lizard-pokemon. "Here's a charizard. One day you'll look like that buddy."

Charmander's eyes gleamed, excited for what the future beheld. The image of the _charizard_ was stoic - it stood atop a steep mountain, with its dragon-like wings unfolded. Erupting from its powerful jaws, into the vast sky, was an awe-inspiring pillar of fire.

"Can't wait, eh?" questioned Ash, with a smile. "I know I can't..."

The fire-lizard was enjoying this moment. He'd never dreamed with a friend before...he most certainly never dreamed with Damian.

"I can see you eyeing that arcanine picture," said Ash to Growlithe. "One day buddy...but keep in mind that we still have a lot to learn before then."

Growlithe dejectedly pouted. He wished the hurdle of time would cease to exist. His yearning desire to become a regal, _strong-flamed,_ arcanine grew exponentially with every passing day.

"It's for the best," said Ash. "We must be patient in order to maximize your potential."

Growlithe didn't necessarily like it, but he understood that his trainer knew what was best for him. He wouldn't complain, at least not yet.

"Clefairy look up there," declared Ash, as he pointed towards an engraving etched into the top right corner. "There's one of a clefable too."

Clefairy nobly curtsied, honoring the abstract image of one of her evolved kin.

"Should I knock?" asked Ash, once the boy and his three _released_ pokemon were finally finished looking at all of the engravings.

Charmander responded by moving his tail flame, enlightening a bright red doorbell that was situated on the face of a medial black apparatus. The electrical box was neatly fastened into the wall; it had dozens of tiny holes divided into it. Ash assumed that it also worked as a short-distance call box.

"Why knock, when you can ring a doorbell?" jested Ash. "Good find Charmander."

Charmander placed his hands on his hips and puffed up his chest, proud that he had helped his trainer.

"You're a funny guy," Ash chuckled. "But I'm always proud of you no matter what you do, just so you know."

Charmander gave Ash a toothy grin. The boy said things that made him feel _special_. All Damian ever did was tear him down, making him feel like dirt. He had gone from having the _worst_ trainer in the world, to having the _best_. He made an internal promise to himself to _always_ cherish the way Ash treated him.

Ash readily pressed the doorbell. The call box buzzed, emitting a signifying ring from the speaker. There was a momentary pause, before Ash heard the sound of a sophisticated male voice.

"Hello," said the disembodied voice. "Who goes there?"

"My name's Ash Ketchum," he replied cheerfully. "I'm a traveling trainer. I was passing by and saw the lighthouse. Mind if I come check it out?"

"Godsend!" exclaimed the well-cultivated voice. "I don't usually permit random trainers…but I've gotten myself in quite the predicament. Come on in; the doors automated so don't let it spook you."

"Sweet," replied Ash. "What's your predicament?"

Before Ash could get a wanted response, the call box promptly shut off. He waited anxiously, while the engraved doors slowly creaked open. Ash was excited, judging by the lighthouse door the owner was most likely some kind of pokemon enthusiast.

When the double-doors finally came to a halt; Ash, Growlithe, Clefairy, and Charmander entered the lighthouse. The entrance hall was dark and commodious. There were a few lit-up lamps throughout the corridor, but only enough to safely maneuver about. Ash examined about as much as he possibly could. However, the severe lack of light made it difficult to attain a decent feel for the _caliginous_ lighthouse.

With the help of Charmander's risen tail-flame and the limited number of illuminated lamps, he was able to discern that the llighthouses' floor was coated with fine, _crimson-red_, wool, carpeting. Every so often, as he and his pokemon sauntered down the linear hall, he was able to make out an _exquisite_ piece of furniture, or a _dazzling_ article of décor. On the occasion, Ash would jump at the sight of a shadowy statue. The long corridor was littered with life-sized stone sculptures of various _sparse_ species of pokemon. At this point, Ash was awfully interested in meeting the owner of the luxurious lighthouse. Whoever it belonged to was more than likely wealthy beyond reason.

"Where do you think this guy is?" asked Ash, to no one in particular, as they continued their way to the end of the _crepuscular_ hall. "I'd feel kind of silly if we had to apply tracking methods in a situation like this."

Charmander decisively veered off to the left, once again using his tail-flame to unveil the composition of a long winding staircase. It appeared to lead up to a second floor. Ash shouldn't have been surprised; the lighthouse was an extremely tall structure, multiple floors were inevitable. Besides, there had to be a way to access the assumed to be, _kerosene lamp,_ at the top of the tower.

"You're on a roll today," praised Ash, directed towards Charmander. "Let's go up."

Charmander responded with a dainty smile, before leading them up the dark enclosed staircase. Ash watched, as Charmander used his claw to carefully secure his blazing tail-flame.

The dark-haired boy perceived the constant twitching of Clefairy's ears - her auditory receptors indicated that there was activity coming from above. He also noticed Growlithe's distinct train of focus. Ash could tell he was in the process of reaching out with his aromatic awareness. The boy inwardly cackled, his friends couldn't help but always be on guard.

At the top of the staircase was an abbreviate passageway. The shadowy walls were decorated with a few intricately framed photographs. Unfortunately, Ash was unable to decipher the contents of the pictures, because of the hall's limited light-source. Furthermore, the passageway's primary feature was without a doubt the acutely crafted wooden door that most certainly led onto the next floor.

"Shall we see what lies behind the door?" asked Ash, with a creepy voice and a contorted face.

His pokemon looked at him with a blank stare, blinking rapidly throughout the awkward silence.

"_Psht…_it looks like no one understands good humor around here," said Ash.

Growlithe shook his head in embarrassment, before beckoning his trainer to open the door with the gesture of his head.

"Fine…" said Ash, as he reached out to grab the door knob. "We'll work on your sense of humor later."

He opened the door; Ash was nearly blinded by the abrupt change in lighting. He rubbed his eyes in attempt to soothe the sudden contraction of his pupils, caused by the bright light.

"Geez," complained Ash. "I definitely wasn't expecting that."

As his vision gradually shifted back into focus, he noticed the squinched look on all of his pokemon's faces. Apparently, the rapid light change affected them in a similar way. Once he was able to see clearly, the ten-year old boy dizzily walked through the doorway out onto the second floor.

"Holy crap," mumbled Ash aimlessly. "That's a lot of books."

The lighthouses' second floor was basically a library; it was packed, disorganized, and musky. There were tens of thousands of books littered throughout the entirety of the corridor. Maybe half of them were neatly situated in their respective shelves, but the rest were disarranged all over the place: on the floor, on the tables, underneath the tables, stuck in between the cushions of a couch, wedged behind a shelf, _etc_…

From what Ash could tell, every single book had something to do with pokemon. He briefly scanned numerous _titles_ like: _Evolutionary Physics of Pokemon, Elemental Energy, Selective Habitats in Kanto, Genetic Reconstruction, _and_ Legends._

Ash flipped through the pages of some of the displaced titles. Every single one of them was thoroughly annotated by the same sloppy handwriting. Ash tried to decipher some of the explanatory notes, but couldn't make out the, _boarder line, _illegible handwriting. Ash moved on, curiously picking up one of the shelved books for the first time. It was unmarked. He picked up another shelved book; it was _also_ unmarked. Ash came to the conclusion that the library was in fact organized after all.

It was _clean_ chaos. The disarranged books had been read, and the shelved books hadn't. In Ash's opinion, it was actually a rather simple system. Obviously the lighthouse keeper wasn't bothered by a mess, that is, _as long_ as he knew where everything was located.

Growlithe, Clefairy, and Charmander waited patiently for Ash to finish his investigation, before resuming their search for the lighthouse keeper. Ash led the way, as they continued to rummage through the book-filled corridor.

"What do you guys think?" asked Ash, to his pokemon. "The guy's got to be a researcher, or something along those lines. I mean...no normal human writes that much _commentary _for the hell of it, right?

His pokemon once again stared blankly, not understanding the meaning behind the question.

"Don't worry about it," Ash sighed. "I guess I'm talking about stuff that you guys wouldn't understand. Either way, thanks for listening to my babbling. It shows that you at least care about what I have to say."

All three pokemon authentically nodded - of course they cared about what Ash had to say. He was there leader after all.

As they persistently trekked through the corridor, the ten-year old boy noticed that the piles of books were gradually getting larger. He wondered if it meant anything. Perhaps _more_ books meant that they were getting closer to the keeper. It sort of made sense…maybe.

Situated behind the final row of shelves, was a beautifully constructed lounge. Unfortunately, its current condition made it look like it had been used as a playground by a barrel of _mankey. _The red carpeting was completely concealed by a layer of scientific _journals_ and opinionated _literature. _The comfortable looking furniture was occupied by hundreds of scribbled on pieces of paper. Ash guessed that the unkempt lounge was where the lighthouse keeper studied.

Ash suddenly paused...

His body momentarily went stiff, in response to the unexpected appearance of a large bizarre creature. It creepily plodded out from behind a book shelf. He recognized it - its existence was baffling.

Growlithe instantaneously crouched into a defensive position. He snarled menacingly, while confusion crept up into his thoughts. Why had he not picked up on its scent earlier? The canine pokemon reached out with his aromatic awareness once again…

Charmander's eyes boiled blood-red and his tail-flame grew. He showed his teeth in attempt to intimidate the _strange pokemon_. The lizard-pokemon raised his claws, prepared to protect his trainer.

Clefairy remained relaxed. The creature's signature movement pattern didn't match its frame. She chuckled internally - it wasn't what it appeared to be.

Ash drifted his dominant hand hoveringly over Bulbasaur's pokeball. From what he'd read on the primordial creature, the grass-type would have the best shot at taking it down.

All of a sudden, two of its yellow pointed claws frantically waved back and forth. "Whoa there chap! whoa there! It's just a costume. Please don't do anything rash!"

"My stars is that a Clefairy?"

Ash recognized the _kabuto's_ voice. It had the same inflection as the one that transmitted over the call box. The fact that it talked would typically erase any suspicion, but ever since the boy's encounter with the elder clefable at Mt. Moon, he couldn't be completely sure.

"A costume, eh?" asked Ash. "How can I be sure?"

The brown-shelled creature's red eyes realistically blinked. "Observe your pokemon young man, do they appear to be hostile?"

Ash glanced down at his three pokemon. Growlithe and Clefairy both appeared to be relaxed. Ash trusted their judgment - their uncanny senses were nearly _always_ accurate. Charmander was still slightly on edge. But that was to be expected. The lizard-pokemon didn't possess any _special_ perceptual abilities.

"Fair enough," replied Ash. "But why…?

"Sometimes the only way to get to know a species better, is to spend some time inside of its own skin," said the lighthouse keeper. "_Kabuto _is as far as we know extinct. I figured it would be fun to study the species as one of its own."

"Okay…" said Ash. "That makes sense, I guess."

"Yes it does," retorted the man in the costume. "Unfortunately, I designed the bloody thing sloppily."

He waved the _kabuto_ costume's moveable claws back and forth. "The damn arms are too short. I can't reach the _bloody_ release button. The costumes automated, so I can't take the thing off unless I press the _bloody_ button."

"Is this _the _predicament?" asked Ash, slightly disappointed.

"I'm afraid so lad," answered the keeper. "Now _please, _help me get out of this _poxy_ costume."

Ash approached the _Kabuto _costume, with his pokemon following closely behind. "Okay, so what do I do?"

He used one of his yellow pointed claws to awkwardly point in the direction of a tiny black button that protruded out of the costumes side. "The _bloody _release button is right here. All you've got to do is push it."

"Easy enough," said Ash, as he bent over to press the button.

As his index finger made contact with the release button, the kabuto costume's shell separated down the middle. A cloud of smoke was released, as the shadowy figure of a man slowly emerged. Once the foggy smoke dissipated, the identity of the young man beneath the costume was more astonishing then the costume itself.

"Holy crap!" bellowed Ash shockingly. "You're Bill Montgomery!"

"That would be correct," said the voice of the brilliant young pokemon researcher. "Thanks for getting me out of that thing. I've been stuck in there for hours. I believe you said your name is Ash Ketchum?"

The dark-haired boy examined the appearance of one of the most brilliant young minds in the world. He looked to be in his late twenty's - his body was slightly on the scrawny side and his facial features were thin and unlined. The young researcher's eyes were a dark-brown. His hair for the most part matched his eye-color, except for the fact that it had a slight peculiar forest-green tint to it. Bill wore a fine, but crumpled, expensive looking crimson-red suit. It had thin green pin-stripes that streaked from top to bottom, and was accessorized by a vibrant green tie. The researcher's dressy outfit most definitely projected a distinct image of wealth.

"That's right…I'm Ash," mumbled the ten-year old boy, somewhat star-struck. "But you…you're Bill Montgomery."

"I believe that's already been established," jested Bill, as he nonchalantly pointed at Ash. "That reaction right there is why I spend the majority of my free time in seclusion."

Before he made a fool out of himself, Ash got a grip on his behavior. "Sorry, I guess I was sort of surprised. It's not every day that one of the more _famous_ people in Kanto emerges from the inside of an extinct pokemon."

"Good point," said Bill. "Besides, you saved my life lad, and for that I owe you more than just a good attitude."

The pokemon enthusiast gratefully shook Ash's hand. "If it weren't for you, I would've had to call upon someone from the league. There's no way to eat or drink in that poxy costume. I'm afraid if I didn't do anything, I could have died like a prat."

Ash nodded; he hadn't thought of that. "Well I'm glad you're okay now Mr. Montgomery."

"Please...call me Bill," said the researcher. "Mr. Montgomery makes me sound like a _bloody _duffer."

"Alright...Bill it is," chuckled Ash. "I'm glad I stumbled across your lighthouse. I'm assuming it would have been rather embarrassing to call the league over something like this."

"That's correct," heckled Bill. "You definitely saved my _bloated_ pride, although now I feel that I owe you a favor."

"Don't mention it," replied Ash. "Anyone can press a button. I was just in the right place at the right time."

"I will not take no for an answer," retorted Bill. "A debt must be repaid. I shall have it no other way."

"Well if you insist…" said Ash. "What do you have in mind?"

"Being Bill Montgomery has its perks," replied Bill arrogantly, while raising an eyebrow. "Whatever you want, it shall be yours. Judging by your clefairy, it seems you have a liking for rare pokemon…maybe something along those lines?"

Ash immediately declined the offer. "I would rather find my own pokemon."

"You sure?" questioned Bill. "I mean...I can't promise something as rare as a clefairy. But I do have my resources."

"I'll pass," said Ash. "Can I have some time to think about it please?"

"Of course," said Bill, with a smile. "Take as much time as you'd like. If you'd like to sleep on it, you're more than welcome to stay in one of my many guest rooms."

"Really?" asked Ash. "Are you sure I wouldn't be imposing?"

"Imposing…please," scoffed Bill. "This _bloody_ place is too big for me anyway. You can stay here as long as you'd like."

"Awesome," said Ash. "I'll probably only stay tonight though, I'm trying to get to Vermillion before the end of the week."

"Suit your-self," shrugged Bill, before changing the subject. "So what pokemon do you have Ash?"

Ash took a second to reply, as he gestured towards his Growlithe, Clefairy, and Charmander. "I have these three, a bulbasaur, a pidgeotto, and a squirtle."

"A Bulbasaur you say?" questioned Bill, with a raised eyebrow. "Fascinating, has Professor Oak begun to issue them again."

"Nope…my starter was Growlithe," replied Ash. "I actually found Bulbasaur in the wild."

"Interesting…" said Bill, with a hand on his chin. "Does that mean you found Charmander and Squirtle in the wild as well?"

"Kind of," said Ash. "They were both abandoned by their previous trainers."

Bill sadly shook his head. "_Bloody_ ingrates…well it looks like your Charmander is happy now. So at least it worked out for the best."

"That's a good way to look at it," said Ash, as Charmander nuzzled up next to him in agreement.

"All three of these specimens look to be in fine shape," said Bill, as he closely examined Clefairy. "Do you mind if I see your others?"

Ash nodded. "You can see everyone except for Squirtle. I haven't released him since I caught him a few days ago. He needs a restoration machine - it was a pretty intense battle…"

"Understood," replied Bill. "Feel free to release Bulbasaur and Pidgeotto whenever you're ready."

Ash wasted no time. He quickly unclipped Pidgeotto and Bulbasaur's pokeballs, before proceeding to release them within the messy lounge.

Bill's jaw dropped, at the sight of Pidgeotto's monstrous size. "A _king_…"

"King?" asked Ash. "What do you mean by that?"

Bill's eyes lit up, as he whistled. "Ash Ketchum, that Pidgeotto is a living example of one of the rarest genetic phenomenon on this planet."

"Making him a King?" asked Ash confusedly.

"Essentially," replied Bill. "It's called the king's nature. It's a genetic alteration that is similar to that of a _shiny_ pokemon (a pokemon with a unique color variation). This genetic mutation is recessively passed on throughout the generations. Only about one in a million of its species, possesses this genetic gift_._

"One in a million..." reciprocated Ash. "You hear that Pidgeotto, pretty cool, eh?"

Pidgeotto puffed up his chest, and chortled sadistically. He didn't need some stranger to tell him how _badass_ he was.

"_Pretty cool_...doesn't do it justice Ash," said Bill enthusiastically. "That Pidgeotto is rarer than your Clefairy."

"When you say it like that I guess it is pretty amazing," said Ash.

"Damn right it's amazing," admitted Bill. "Ash this team has incredible potential. You better not waste it."

Ash appreciated Bill's honesty. "I won't…I promise."

"Good…" replied Bill. "All of these specimens bear a _vast_ pool of latent potential. I look forward to witnessing you bring that potential out. You'll be competing in the tournament I presume?"

"That's my plan," said Ash.

"Hmmm…" mumbled Bill. "Maybe I'll come this year, Mr. Goodshow's been bugging me about it for years."

Ash ignored the _eccentric_ Bill's quiet babbling. "So how do you know so much about this so called, _king's_ _nature_?"

Bill responded quickly, as if he'd been expecting the question. "Follow me."

Ash hastily returned Pidgeotto, and offered Bulbasaur the opportunity to remain outside of his pokeball. Bulbasaur opted to go back inside - the saurian grass-type was still exhausted from the long day of travel.

Bill proceeded to lead the way, as Ash, Growlithe, Charmander, and Clefairy followed him out of the lounge and through a narrow passageway. The corridor was well lit, and just like the other hallways, there were various stone statues and framed photographs. This time Ash was able to clearly make out the images. He came to the realization that some of them were paintings. Ash's favorite happened to be a beautiful depiction of _Kanto's _three elemental birds of legend. They stood stoically as a trio, dwelling within the fury of their own individual elements.

Ash moved on, continuing to follow Bill down the lengthy corridor. He looked down at each of his friend's faces. All three of them appeared to be eager. Ash assumed that they were just as interested in what Bill had to show them as he was

"Where are you taking us?" asked Ash, as they reached a decrepit door at the end of the hall.

Bill pointed towards the roof. "We're going to the top."

"Awesome," said Ash, as he looked at all of his pokemon. "But what does the roof have to do the _king's_ nature?"

"You sure ask a lot of questions," replied Bill. "Maybe you should pursue professorship?"

"I'll pass…training's my passion," said Ash. "Besides, I can learn a lot by simply traveling the world."

"Good answer," replied Bill, as he opened up the door to another flight of stairs. "A goal without passion will always die out."

"I agree," said Ash, as he looked down at his pokemon. "What about you guys?"

Growlithe, Clefairy, and Charmander gave Ash an affirmative grunt.

Bill scratched his head, as he laughed. "Glad to see that you guys are on the same wavelength. They say a great trainer can distribute his passion to all of his pokemon, no matter what their personality looks like. It seems to me that you may possess this unique quality."

Ash mulled it over. "Hmm…_maybe, _but I just started my journey. I guess we'll just have to just wait and see."

Ash and his pokemon followed Bill the long distance up the lantern-lit spiral staircase. Ash's legs were tender and sore by the time they had finally reached the top. The long days of travel had definitely accumulated an evident toll on his body.

At the end of the staircase was a thick steel plated door. Bill reached into one of his coat pockets, pulling out a silver ring that obsequiously clung onto a surplus of metallic keys. He fumbled through the ringed cluster, until he found the padlock's corresponding key. The famous pokemon enthusiast carefully inserted it into the keyhole, unlocking the door that led to the roof.

"Wow," said Ash, as he followed Bill through the door. "So this is what it's like to be at the top of a lighthouse."

"Indeed," replied the researcher. "The _warmth_ of the lamp - the _breathtaking_ view - it really is quite the experience."

Ash observantly looked around at his surroundings. The _open_ floor consisted of two distinct sections. The first section was where Ash resided. It was a magnificent view point that served as a spot to look out at the vast ocean. The spectacle was gorgeous. Ash could see the sparkling stars alluringly reflect off the surface of the ocean.

The second section was stationed on an elevated platform - it supported the lighthouses immense pivoting lamp. Ash watched, as the _kerosene _lamp endlessly revolved in a half-circle, projecting its light out onto the ocean.

"So why did you take me up here?" asked Ash, as he bent over and rubbed the fur underneath Growlithe's maw.

"You asked how I know so much about the _king's nature," _replied Bill. "Well I figured this would be the best place to explain…"

Bill grabbed the railing at the edge of the view point, as he gazed out at the ocean. "The _king's nature _is one of several pokemon phenomenon that I have spent my life researching. It's actually the reason why I'm currently shacked up in this _bloody _place."

"That makes sense," replied Ash, as he joined Bill at the lookout. "But why here? What can you learn in a place like this?"

"Good question," replied Bill. "See... I came out here originally because of the vast amount of knowledge stored in the libraries. My family has owned this lighthouse for generations. Throughout time they have stocked the corridors with all sorts of _bloody _decorations and books _galore_."

Ash listened attentively, as Charmander cuddled up next to him.

"But the reason why I haven't left…" sighed Bill. "Well... just listen to this."

Bill removed a small mechanical device from his _other _coat pocket. It was relatively bland. Its only feature was a small green button that was situated in its center. He pressed the button - Ash reacted with a jolt, as an intensely eerie cry was emitted from the lighthouses broadcast system. Until now, Ash had failed to notice the large, gramophone-like speakers that were built into the side of the building. They aimlessly pointed towards the ocean, calling out to something in the distance.

Ash looked down and saw Clefairy covering her ears. His lone female pokemon was extra sensitive to loud noises, an unfortunate drawback to her acute hearing capabilities.

"What is that?" asked Ash curiously.

Bill smiled. "The biggest pokemon I have ever seen. I recorded its cry right before it vanished back into the depths of the sea."

"That belongs to a pokemon," scoffed Ash dumfounded. "Is it a legendary?"

"_Maybe_, unfortunately I only saw its silhouette," said Bill. "But…"

"What else could it be?" interrupted Ash, as he racked his brain.

"Its' cry is inexplicably similar to that of a _dragonite," _said Bill. "My hypothesis is that it's a _bloody _massive one."

"A massive dragonite?" asked Ash, with large eyes. "But wouldn't that mean…"

"Correct," inserted Bill. "It would make it a _pseudo_-legendary in possession of the blasted _king's nature."_

"But that's insane!" gasped Ash. "That would make it _like _one of the strongest pokemon in _Kanto_."

"Debatable," said Bill. "It depends on how you feel about the existence of legendaries."

Ash scrunched his face. "What do you mean? It's not like sightings are unheard of...of course they exist."

Bill shrugged. "People still refuse to believe. The human race is…skeptical to say the least. I even know a few trainers that have managed to catch some of the _lesser_ legendaries. It still doesn't put a stop to conspiracy theorists."

Ash rolled his eyes. "People…"

"Why do you think I spend my life focused on pokemon, Ash?" Bill jested. "People are a _bloody _nuisance."

Ash chuckled, before responding. "Wait, what are you planning to do here? What will sticking around accomplish?"

Bill looked out ahead with glazed eyes. "I wish to meet it."

"How do you plan on doing that?"

Bill pressed the button for a second time, replaying the booming eerie cry. "This howl sounds _exactly_ like a dragonite's call for fellowship. I don't know why…but I believe it's seeking out a friend."

"A friend, eh?" questioned Ash. "Well I hope it finds one..."

Growlithe, Clefairy, and Charmander nodded. They understood how important it was to have a friend. Charmander nestled his head up against his trainer's leg. No one understood how important a friend was more than the previously abandoned fire-lizard.

"Me too, me too," echoed Bill. "I just want to meet it. That would be enough for me. Then I could finally leave this lighthouse satisfied. Dragonite are rare enough as it is, meeting one with the bloody _king's_ nature...well that's a once in a lifetime opportunity."

Ironically...that's when it happened...

The same ominous cry that was projected from the broadcast system, was thunderously reiterated from somewhere far across the sea. Ash watched as the shore's waves became significantly larger, which was a _strange_ and _sudden_ reaction.

"My stars Ash, did you hear that?" asked Bill, as he jumped up and down gleefully. "It finally responded!"

Ash simply blinked, utterly flabbergasted at the timing.

"Look out there!" bellowed Bill, as he pointed forwards toward the large body of water.

Leaking out from the obscure horizon was a bizarre and expansive purple fog. Within its depths existed a colossal shadowy figure - it lurked towards them, continuously casting out the, intense, _creepy _bellow.

Ash's lower lip trembled. "Are you sure about this Bill? That thing's humongous."

"Oh I'm _bloody_ positive," said Bill giddily, with fire in his eyes. "Its' call isn't hostile Ash, there's no need to be afraid."

Ash gulped. "If you say so…"

The tide ascended, responding to every fragment of distance that the _giant_ covered. As it got closer to the lighthouse, its silhouette became much more distinguishable. If Ash had to guess, he would say that it was _probably_ around thirty-feet tall. Unless the fog was disorienting its image, Ash could tell that its body was bulky and round. It had thick arms, and its legs were encased by the ocean. The creature had two massive wings that, despite their tremendous size, were slightly disproportionate to its colossal frame. The creature's head looked to be oval shaped with a wide pointed horn protruding out of the top of its skull. There was a pair of curious wavy antennae, planted adjacent and symmetric to both sides of the horn - squiggling about aimlessly. The name _king's_ _nature_ didn't fully comprehend the monstrosity of the prodigious dragon-like form. This was transcendent of a _king; _**Divine **_nature _was much more suitable_._

_"_Ash...now that you've acquired a good look at its shadow," said Bill, with a smirk. "What do _you_ fancy it is?"

"I have no doubt..." replied Ash, slack-jawed. "That's a dragonite."

"Indeed," replied Bill, with a smile. "indeed! Indeed! Indeed!"

The purple haze continued to follow the massive dragonite, while it gradually neared the lighthouse. Bill continued to play the recording, convinced that it was seeking its own voice by means of echolocation. Ash highly doubted it though. The lighthouses' lamp seemed to be _more than_ _enough_ of an indicator to draw it in.

The tide was on the brink of reaching up over the cliff-side. Ash thought he knew why. His first guess was that it had to do with the colossal dragonite's weight. But then he factored in the ocean's overall density. It made much more sense for the tide to be raised, simply by the sheer gravitational force the _giant _created as it plodded through the water.

The titanic dragonite was now close enough that it could without a doubt reach out and snatch them if it wanted to. It remained enshrouded inside of the fog; Ash considered that the eerie purple veil accompanying the dragon was some type of peculiar ability. Based on its purple-tint, Ash assumed that it consisted of draconic-energy. He'd had enough experience with Pidgeotto's twister to be able to deduce that much.

Ash's legs shook, and his heart pounded, as he stood beneath the gargantuan silhouette.

Growlithe dutifully stepped forward, prepared to serve as a distraction. Charmander and Clefairy quickly followed suit. They would willingly give up their lives if the situation turned for the worst. If that's what it took to help their trainer escape, so be it...

"Greetings Dragonite!" bellowed Bill, as he stepped forward, while initiating first contact. "Presuming that is what you are?"

Ash remained still, allowing Bill to handle the encounter.

"We mean you no harm," implored the pokemon researcher. "We just want to be your friends, will you please show yourself?"

The immense dragonite momentarily paused, insinuating that it was internally conflicted.

"I promise!" howled Bill. "You can trust us!"

The colossal dragon disembogued a peculiar outcry, as the surrounding purple fog gradually dissipated. Once the self-induced haze had completely faded, the king's form was completely clear.

It was terrifying, yet magnificent…

"I see…" replied Bill, utterly confounded. "So something like you does exist…"

Ash didn't need an explanation from Bill; he knew what was going on. This creature was beyond unique. It transcended _one in a million._ Its existence was in fact, **divine.**

The titanic _green_ dragonite slowly lowered its head, bringing its gaze down to eye level. Its eyes were soft and docile, glowing in a majestic lambent grey. The long ekans-like antennae on its head carefully reached out towards them, looking to make contact with the two astonished humans.

Ash followed Bill's lead and reached out a hand, allowing the beast to feel out his extremity. Its antennae was _cold_ and _slimy, _but Ash didn't care, he was caught up in the moment.

The dragon took its antennae off of the human's hand, relocating them over to Ash's pokemon. It performed the same bizarre ritual with the pokemon - examining them with its sensory appendages.

"Is that typical for a dragonite?" asked Ash, as the creature reeled back its antennae.

"Not necessarily," answered Bill, just as confused. "But a pokemon of this level can't be compared to the rest of its species. Ash, it's a _bloody_ genetic miracle. To have the _king's_ nature is one thing, but to bear _shininess_ as well; **one in a billion**."

Ash's attention was _snatched_ by the large creature. It playfully whinnied, as if it was waiting for them to do something. Ash and Bill laughed - Dragonite were well known for their dominantly _jolly nature. _But this…well it was unexpected to say the least.

Ash took a moment to fully grasp the dragon's features. Its scaly skin was a glossy jade-green. Its striated underbelly contrasted its scales with a creamy off-white color, as it stretched from its neck to the tip of its absurdly long tail. The insides of its disproportionate wings were naturally painted a vibrant purple; it matched the color of the eerie violet cloud that it previously dwelled within. Its snout was round and its nostrils were small. Ash mentally scoffed. The dragon was oddly resplendent.

"What is it dragonite?" asked Bill. "Is there something that you want?"

Ash shook his head. "Bill…remember what you said earlier. I think it wants to be your friend. I believe it's waiting for you to introduce yourself."

Bill smiled. "Of course…sorry dragonite, I got lost within your elegance."

The pokemon researcher welcomingly waved his hand above his head. "My name is Bill. I've wanted to meet you for a very long time."

Dragonite jovially murmured, before setting his lavishing eyes on Ash.

"My name's Ash," said the ten-year old boy. "And this is Growlithe, Charmander, and Clefairy.

The three pokemon exhaled a massive sigh of relief, before introducing themselves in their own individual languages.

Dragonite playfully clapped its hands together, unintentionally creating a deafening vibration. Ash, Bill, and the three released pokemon covered their ears, protecting their eardrums from the _booming_ sonic explosion.

Dragonite apparently seemed to recognize this, it stopped itself mid-clap, slouching its shoulders gloomily in sorrow. The two humans and Ash's pokemon lowered their hands from their ears, as the vibration gradually fizzled out. They mentally chuckled, noticing Dragonite's personified guilty conscience.

"Don't sweat it dragonite!" bellowed Ash. "We're just as happy as you are!"

"Damn _bloody _right we are!" howled Bill, while mirroring Dragonite's display from earlier by goofily clapping his hands together like a _cymbal_ mankey.

Ash and his Pokemon rolled their eyes at Bill. As adorable as dragonite's display was, it didn't change the fact that it was excruciatingly painful. All four of them were afraid that Bill's reciprocation would encourage Dragonite to recreate the sonic boom. Fortunately, dragonite seemed to be too enthralled with Bill to reiterate the brutally loud noise.

Dragonite used its wiggling antennae to delightfully pet the top of Bill's head, as if the famous researcher was a _young_ eevee kit. Ash laughed hysterically, the scene was almost too comical to bear.

Once Dragonite was done petting Bill, the researcher happily turned to Ash. "I love the _bloody _guy already, isn't he _fantastic_!"

Ash nodded in agreement - Dragonite most certainly was an amazing pokemon.

Dragonite excitedly bounced up and down. He turned around in circles while pumping his massive fists in the air. His eyes were eager like a child, as if he was anxiously waiting for something.

"What do you think it's trying to say?" asked Ash, with an amused smile on his face.

"Come on Ash, isn't it _bloody_ obvious," blurted Bill, with radiant eyes. "He wants to play!"

Ash scratched the back of his head confusedly. "I hate to break it to you Bill, but as friendly as Dragonite is, I'm not quite seeing a way to play with it. His monstrous-size complicated things."

Bill placed his fist under his own chin, as he mulled things over. "_Hmm…_I guess that is sort of a conundrum."

Bill all of a sudden jolted excitably.

Ash gulped; he could tell the researcher had just formulated a, _most likely, _ludicrous idea.

Bill created a flesh-made megaphone, wrapping his hands around his mouth like a tunnel. "Care to stretch your wings Dragonite!"

Ash sighed in relief; the request wasn't as bad as he had originally anticipated.

Dragonite joyfully howled. He lowered his head in preparation, making it possible for Ash and Bill to grapple on. Ash beckoned his pokemon to stay put, before _mirroring_ Bill by climbing onto a groove that was fortunately created by two merging scales. The groove was located at the base of Dragonite's muscular neck. It was far from comfortable, but Ash assumed it to be relatively secure. His thick scales were course enough to grab hold of, but smooth enough that they didn't tear at his flesh. A dragonite's convenient hide, along with its absurd top-end speed, made it one of the more desirable winged pokemon to ride.

Dragonite emitted a harmless growl, ostensibly trying to communicate with them.

Ash had no clue how to respond. Bill on the other hand replied quickly, as if he knew what Dragonite was saying.

"Yup, we're ready whenever you are my friend!" howled Bill, as he patted Dragonite's scales. "Take to the skies!"

Ash gave his three nervous pokemon a brief smile of assurance, before turning to Bill.

"How did you know what it was saying?"

"Maybe one day I can share that with you," Bill replied, with a wink. "But for now, I'm going to have to pretend I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ash was utterly confused. "What?"

He was interrupted by the abrupt gust of wind that Dragonite triggered, as he fully extended his wings. The dragon's body significantly quavered throughout the beginning stage of ascension. Three powerful thrusts of its wings impressively created enough momentum to raise the massive, shiny king, up and out of the water.

Ash scoffed, as he saw dragonite's dripping wet legs for the first time. They were giant and sturdy, similar in build to two immense concrete pillars. Ash's original estimate was off - Dragonite was at least fifty-feet tall.

"Why is he so big?" Hhowled Ash, over the loud crashing sound of the water, as it fell from Dragonite's scales and hit the ocean's surface. "My Pidgeotto is only about twice the average size!"

"I don't know!" bellowed Bill. "Much like Pidgeotto_, typically _they are all about two-fold the norm! I think Dragonite's monstrous-size may have something to do with the combination of both genetic mutations!"

Their abbreviate conversation was cut-short, as Dragonite rapidly burst into the air. The atmosphere clapped, reacting with a shriek in response to Dragonite's extraordinary speed. If it weren't for the groove in which they were situated, in addition to the fact that Dragonite was skillfully manipulating the air currents, Ash and Bill wouldn't have stood a chance at hanging on.

They escalated through the heavens, increasingly gaining altitude. At no point did Ash feel out of breath; it was obvious that the Dragonite was somehow facilitating excess oxygen into the smoothly manipulated air current. Once Dragonite had reached an awe-inspiring height, the benevolent dragon periodically relaxed his wings. He let the procreated air-current do most of the work, as he leveled out and calmly glided through the _inky_ sky.

Ash and Bill looked down at the magnificent view, while they relaxed within the clutches of Dragonite's massive scales.

"Researchers have deduced that a dragonite can circle the globe in less than sixteen hours," sputtered Bill. "How long do you think it would take this guy, Ash?"

Ash exited a dumfounded zombification, as he mulled it over. "Well judging from a few moments ago...its size doesn't seem to hinder its speed. In fact, my guess is that it has had the opposite effect. Uh…I don't know how to get an exact number, but maybe twelve hours. I'm just guessing though…"

"I reckon it can go even faster," said Bill. "But I guess there's no way to find out unless we actually tried. But it's too late _tonight_…maybe tomorrow."

"That's up to you," said Ash. "I have to get going in the morning."

"Moving on can definitely be an unfortunate part of life," said Bill sadly, while shaking his head.

"I guess…" mumbled Ash. "But I'm thankful for the little bit of time I've had here. It's been an amazing experience."

"It has, hasn't it?" replied Bill, while gently stroking one of Dragonite's scales. "I mean…it doesn't get much better than this."

"You can say that again," retorted Ash.

Bill once again created a flesh-made microphone, as he blustered for Dragonite's attention. "Are you having fun my friend?"

Dragonite gleefully whinnied, fluttering his wings within the air-current.

Ash reflected within the moment. The world he lived in was brimming with so many unbelievable creatures. Everywhere he went there was something _new -_ something to be _learned - people_ to meet - _pokemon_ to encounter. He'd only just started his journey. There were so many _more_ magical moments, like this one, waiting for him. He could feel it. He hadn't even scratched the surface of what was to come.

Within a month's time, he had: received his first pokemon, left his hometown of Pallet, been chased by a psychotic flock of Spearow, seen what must have been a legendary pokemon soar throughout the heavens, battled his best friend, captured a pokemon that possessed the _king's nature,_ caught one of the rarest pokemon in the region, earned his first badge, captured the three "_original" _Kanto starters, and helped a few other people along the way.

His journey was just beginning...yet so much had already happened. As he centrally processed his thoughts, realization struck him like a ton of bricks. He had _six_ pokemon. Because of his inability to release Squirtle over the past couple of days, this was something that he hadn't given much thought to.

The maximum carry limit for a beginning trainer was _six_. This meant that any additional pokemon caught outside of the league-set limit, were automatically teleported to a trainer's designated sponsor. In a nutshell, all of his future captures would be sent to Professor Oak's laboratory, until an _official_ transfer could be initiated from the pokemon center.

This posed a serious problem…

Unless he took a different approach to his journey, the carry limit would destroy his chances at catching the rest of his "_living_ _dreams". _He owed whatever pokemon he caught the opportunity to be trained to its potential. He couldn't do that if they were forced to sit idly at Professor Oak's lab, while he traveled in between cities for weeks at a time.

Furthermore, he couldn't stand the idea of being away from his current team. His friends were his family - they belonged together. He couldn't part from them…not even for a little bit. The idea itself seemed out of the question. So there was really only two options…

He had to either stop catching pokemon…

Or find a way to bypass the limit.

He was disgusted by the first option, so he desperately racked his brain over the second.

Bill interrupted Ash's intramural reflection. "What are you thinking about Ash?" The dark-haired boy had almost forgotten about the famous researcher, as he intensely thought about his current personal dilemma. "Oh it's nothing Bill don't worr-"

The symbolic lightbulb in his head unimpededly lit-up.

_Bill_…_Bill_! Destiny had sent him the solution to his problem in the form of an extremely famous researcher.

Ash intensely looked Bill in the eyes. "I remember reading somewhere that you recently helped modify the league transfer system, is that true?"

"That's correct," replied Bill. "What of it?"

"You offered me a gift," said Ash. "I know what I want."

"And that is…"

"Can you please have my beginner carry limit removed," implored Ash. "You can do that right?"

"Consider it void," replied Bill nonchalantly.

If he wasn't thousands of feet in the air, on the back of a giant Dragonite, he'd jump up and down in pure joy.

"Really!" replied Ash ecstatically. "You can actually do that for me?"

"Well duh," quipped Bill. "I _only_ designed the _bloody _interface. Besides, the league only has the limit in place because beginner trainers are prone to getting in over their heads. But I've spent enough time around you to know that you're not the _typical_ beginner. You're responsible enough to be an _exception, _aren't you?"

Ash frenziedly nodded his head. "I think so…"

Bill comfortingly grasped Ash's shoulder. "Well I know so! So consider the _bloody _limit gone."

Ash smiled. "Thanks Bill, this is going to have a huge impact on my journey."

"You're welcome Ash," replied Bill, as he faced forward. "Now let's cut the chatter and enjoy the rest of our present excursion."

"Sounds like a _bloody _plan," said Ash, with a momentous grin on his mug.

XXX

Ash could make out the vague images of Growlithe, Charmander, and Clefairy, as Dragonite gradually descended back down to the lighthouse. They were jumping up and down cheerfully. Ash figured they were probably worried sick for the past couple of hours while he was thousands of feet in the air. He felt slightly guilty, next time something like this happened he would ask for their approval.

Dragonite extended his wings, using them to gradually slow down. The giant proceeded to carefully submerge his legs back into the water that surrounded the pier-like cliff-side. Regardless of effort, the controlled splash was significant enough. It aimlessly showered the entire cliff-side, narrowly avoiding the surface of the land.

The _uniquely colored, colossal, _dragon lowered its head parallel to the lighthouse roof, allowing Ash and Bill to safely disembark. Ash bent down to greet his anxious pokemon. They hastily pounced on him, flooding him with tons of relief-based affection. Ash responded cordially, giving each one of them a brief moment of individual attention.

"Well Dragonite, I guess this is it for tonight," said Bill. "I'm _bloody_ exhausted. It's time for me to hit the kip."

Ash stood up and centered his attention on the massive dragon. "You're an awesome guy Dragonite. I'm glad I got the chance to meet you."

Dragonite lowered his head gloomily, upset that their meeting had to come to an end.

"Don't be sad my friend," said Bill. "There's always tomorrow!"

Dragonite instantaneously perked up.

"Come back tomorrow around the same time," continued Bill, with a smile. "We can go flying again if you'd like."

The humongous dragon-type jumped up and down giddily, unintentionally causing the earth-made pier to shake.

"Relax my friend," pleaded Bill, while frantically waving his arms up and down. "I would like for there to be a lighthouse for you to return to tomorrow."

The _king _calmed himself down, compromising with a quiet fist pump.

"That's better," laughed Bill.

Ash interrupted. "Unfortunately I'm leaving tomorrow morning, so I'm afraid this is it for now…"

The massive pseudo-legendary noticeably frowned, in reaction to the news that his _new_ _friend_ would be leaving so soon.

"Don't worry," said Ash. "I'll come back to visit sometime. It's not goodbye forever…"

Dragonite's expression changed from hopeless to hopeful, at the prospect of Ash returning someday. He stretched his neck forward, and used his antennae to gently pet Ash on the top of his head. The boy laughed in response to the tickling sensation of Dragonite's sensory appendage. _Never_ in his life had he imagined a scene quite like this.

Once Dragonite was finished petting Ash, he lightly pat Bill on the head for a brief moment, before slowly backing away from the lighthouse. Ash and Bill each waved a hand above their head, as Dragonite used one of his bulky arms to warmly wave back.

"Goodbye my friend!" shouted Bill.

"See ya again someday big guy!" howled Ash.

Growlithe, Clefairy, and Charmander each blustered something in their native tongue, while gazing out at Dragonite's parting form.

The _giant _dragon formulated its foggy veil, while pouring fourth a heart-felt _goodbye_ growl. Ash and Bill watched silently, as their extraordinary friend gradually trekked farther and farther away, until he eventually vanished out of sight.

"What an _exhilarating_ experience," said Bill, while gazing out at the ocean with his hands planted comfortably on his hips. "What an _amazing_ pokemon."

Ash affectionately pat Charmander on his head, as he replied. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

"You definitely picked a good day to stroll on by," chuckled Bill.

Ash scratched the back of his head bashfully. "Yup, that seems to be a recurring theme on my journey."

"I believe it," said Bill, with a raised eyebrow. "It's rather…fitting."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Ash.

While forcing a yawn, Bill suspiciously looked down at the expensive looking watch that was fastened onto his wrist. "Oh look at that...it's _bloody _midnight already. Yup, time to hit the kip. Follow me down stairs Ash, I'll show you to one of the guest bedrooms."

Ash was too tired to try and decipher his _eccentric _friend's bizarre behavior. He ignored it…for now. The ten-year old boy beckoned his pokemon to follow, as he accompanied Bill back down the long winding staircase. It was time to get some rest. Tomorrow morning he would set out once again for Vermillion City.

XXX

It was mid-morning; Ash adjusted the straps on his backpack in preparation for the day of travel. His two fire-types waited loyally by his side, as he stood out front of the cryptic lighthouse door accompanied by a melancholy Bill.

"So you're off to Vermillion, eh?" Bill asked. "It's about a three day trip from here, just follow the coast west."

"Gotcha," said Ash. "Thanks for letting me stay the night."

"No problem my lad," said Bill, with a fake smile. "Thanks for getting me out of that _dreaded _costume."

"No problem," said Ash, while sensing Bill's grief. "Is something wrong?"

"It'"s nothing," Bill lied. "I'm fine."

Ash skeptically pointed at Bill's agitated eyes. "Why does it look like you're about to cry then…?"

"Dammit Ash!" shouted an embarrassed Bill, as he wiped the minuscule tears from his eyes. "Why do you have to ask so many _bloody _questions?"

Ash raised an eyebrow…

"Sorry... it's just…I can't usually relate to other people," spluttered Bill. "You're the first real _friend _I've made in a _long_ time. And it's a _bloody_ shame you have to leave so soon."

Ash internally chuckled; who would have guessed that the great Bill Montgomery was so…_sensitive._

"It's okay Bill," comforted Ash. "Like I told Dragonite last night, someday I'll come and visit you again too."

"You promise," mumbled Bill.

"I promise," replied Ash, with a slight chuckle. "You guys are my friends, and friends visit each other."

Bill's mood polarized, as he instantaneously perked up. "You're right! There's nothing to worry about! _Blasted _me…I always have to take things to the _bloody _extreme."

Ash mentally face palmed; Bill's last comment was an understatement. The young genius defined the word "_melodramatic"._

"So how much longer are you going to stay here?" asked Ash, changing the subject. "I know last night you told Dragonite to come back, but before you met him, you were telling me that you were almost ready to move on from this place."

Bill scratched the back of his head. "Good question…I guess I'll stick around for a little bit longer. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. I'd like to study him as much as I can before I move on."

"Fair enough," replied Ash. "But once you're done here, I think you should come out of seclusion. Judging by those tears, I think you've been away from civilization for too long."

"Oh _bloody_ shut it," quipped Bill, with a smirk. "Speaking of civilization, I made a few calls this morning concerning the favor you asked of me."

"And…?" asked Ash, anxious for a reply.

"It's been taken care of," replied Bill nonchalantly. "I called league headquarters for approval. I don't ask much of Lance, so when I do, he's usually quick to comply."

Ash's eyes ecstatically lit up. "Lance! _Like _champion of Kanto Lance!"

"That's the one," answered Bill. "He's an _old_ friend. Speaking of Lance, I forgot to tell him about Dragonite. _Hmmm…_it's probably for the best. That _greedy _bastard would most definitely try and catch him."

"So cool…" muttered Ash, with gleaming eyes. "Can you introduce me someday?"

"Sure thing…now enough about Lance for now," retorted Bill. "Anyway, after getting approval from _the champion, _I called Professor Oak."

"You called the old man," replied Ash. "Why?"

"I had to let him know that your carry limit has been removed," said Bill. "I didn't want him to worry about why he's not receiving any of your pokemon."

"What did he say?" asked Ash.

"Simply that he thought you could handle the responsibility," reported Bill. "And that you needed to call him, along with your mother, as soon as possible. He sounded pretty _bloody pissed off_ that you hadn't checked in for a month."

"Crap!" cursed Ash. "I keep forgetting! My mom's gonna kill me!"

"Crap is right," confessed Bill. "You really shouldn't worry your loved ones any more than necessary. Even I know that..."

"I'll call them as soon as I get to Vermillion City," said Ash, with a gulp. "I hope my mom isn't too mad."

"I'm sure she's more worried than she is mad," said Bill, as he fumbled through his coat pocket. "Anyway, you should take this. It'll make things a little bit easier for you."

In Bill's hand lied a miniature black device. Situated on its watch-like, _octagonal,_ face was a small rectangular LED screen. Bill undid the strap that was fastened around the back, and handed it to Ash.

"Put it on."

"What is it?" asked Ash curiously, as he obediently stuck his hand through the loop and tightly secured it onto his non-dominant wrist.

"It's the latest _xtranceiver _model," answered Bill. "The league sent one to me a while back so that I could work out all of the kinks. These things haven't been released anywhere yet, they're basically portable videophones."

"Awesome," said Ash. "Are you sure you can give this to me?"

"I don't see why not," said Bill, with a shrug. "They never said I had to send it back."

"Well are you sure you don't want it?" asked Ash.

"Eh...I got a video phone at the lighthouse," replied Bill, while pointing at his own head. "Besides, if I change my mind I can just make one myself. I've got it all up here."

_Geniuses_…thought Ash to himself, as he held down the lone button on the side, firing up the tiny black device. "Can you give me a quick rundown?"

Bill sighed. "Honestly, it's pretty straightforward. Other than making calls and storing contacts, its only other _significant_ function is a GPS map that allows you to record locations. You're a smart kid. You should be able to figure it out on your own. I already programmed a few contacts for you, so you should be good to go."

Ash nodded. Like Bill said, the main menu only had three primary icons in addition to a settings and tools application. Ash used his finger to touch the tiny little _contact_ icon. The sensitive screen picked up on Ash's touch and loaded the new page. The screen read three names, accompanied by three corresponding ten-digit numbers. His three current contacts were: _Mom - Professor Oak - _and of course, _Bill Montgomery._

"You put the lighthouses phone number in here," stated Ash, as he looked down at the tiny screen.

"Of course I did," replied Bill. "We're friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah, but what if you leave," said Ash.

"No worries, I wrote down your number," answered Bill. "If I leave, I'll make an _xtranceiver _and program your bloody number into it."

"Okay cool," responded Ash, as he powered down the device. "I'll give my mom and Professor Oak a call later today."

"Good idea," answered Bill. "Give me a call next time you catch a pokemon, I'd like for you to keep me updated."

"Will do," replied Ash.

"You better," Bill retorted with a glare. "Friends keep in contact Ash."

"I will, I will…I promise."

"Okay then," replied Bill with a nod. "If you want to get to Vermillion by the end of the week, you better get moving."

Ash looked down at Charmander and Growlithe beckoningly. "You guys ready to hit the road?"

Both pokemon grunted an affirmative.

Ash gave Bill a friendly handshake, accompanied by an amicable smile. "I'll keep in touch."

"Like I said...you better," replied Bill, with a smirk. "Until then…I guess this is goodbye my friend."

XXX

Ash nervously gulped; he anxiously pressed the icon that corresponded to his mother's contact. Hopefully this conversation would go better than the scolding he had just gotten from Professor Oak. Ash restlessly waited, while the _xtranceiver_ continuously reiterated the same, standard, dial tone.

"_Ring…"_

"_Ring…"_

"_Ring…"_

_"Click."_

Ash recognized the universal pick-up _clack_, as his mother's soothing inflection simultaneously reverberated out of the device.

_"_Ketchum residence!" answered his mother cheerfully. "May I ask who is calling?"

"Mom, it's me…Ash."

"…honey is that really you," answered his mom in a relieved tone.

"Yeah," replied Ash. "I'm sorry for taking so long to call."

"It's okay…" bemoaned his mother. "You're on the phone right _now_. That's all that really matters, right?"

Ash's chest tightened and his stomach dropped. He'd hurt his mother - he could tell by her evident, strained, tone of voice.

"No, it's not okay," replied Ash guiltily. "I wasn't considerate towards your feelings. I had so many chances to call, but I was forgetful and selfish. Please forgive me."

Ash felt the awkward feeling of tears slowly develop in his eyes, as he fully comprehended the consequence of his forgetfulness. He was glad that his mother's house phone was purely auditory. He'd _always_ hated crying in front of her.

"Honey…I understand," replied his mom, forgivingly. "You just started to live out your _dream. _You got sidetracked, I get it. Just please remember… while you're out there experiencing the world, promise me that you won't forget your good old mom."

"… I won't, I promise," swore Ash. "I have an _xtranceiver _now. I can call you whenever I want."

"...really!" squealed his mother delightfully. "That's wonderful news. I'll make sure to save the number on the caller I.D."

Ash took a second to catch up to his mother's sudden change in mood, before replying. "That's a good idea."

"Oh I'm so excited!" she exclaimed. "But how did you afford one?"

"My friend Bill gave it to me," replied Ash. "He said I needed to do a better job of keeping in touch with the people I care about."

"This _Bill _sounds like a smart guy," answered Delia. "Where did you meet him?"

"At his lighthouse," answered Ash, matter-of-factly. "He owns one on the coast of southeast _Kanto_."

"You're friend Bill_ owns_ a lighthouse," scoffed his mother. "His family must be pretty well-off."

"You could say that," answered Ash. "He's a Montgomery."

"...what!" she bellowed. "You made friends with a Mont-"

"You're friends with B-B-B-Bill Montgomery!" shrilled his astonished mother.

Ash knew she'd react this way. His mother had an obsessive passion for the scientific community, and Bill just happened to be its front-runner.

"Yup," replied Ash. "I helped him out back at the lighthouse...and surprisingly we got along really well. He removed my carry limit and gave me this cool little gadget as a thank you."

Ash heard the unmistakably clear sound of his mom's phone hitting the floor, before it was fumbled around and picked back up once again.

"Sorry," she blurted. "Are you still there Ash?"

"Are you okay?" asked Ash sincerely. "Did you faint or something?"

"Nope…" replied his mom. "You just surprised me, that's all."

"Enough to make you drop the phone…"

"I guess so," she retorted. "Now Ash, I want you to tell me everything that's happened since you left Viridian. Don't leave out any details."

Ash mentally sifted through what he could and couldn't share. Although his mother asked for all the details, there were just some things he just _couldn't_ tell her. She would worry _way_ too much if she knew everything.

"Well, let's see…where to begin," said the boy. "Oh yeah, so the morning after we last spoke on the phone, Gary showed up at the pokemon center. "

Ash's eyes gleamed, as he prepared to continue. "And _that's_ when we both had our very first battle."

XXX

Ash was about a day and a half away from Vermillion City. He had to admit, the last couple days of travel had been genuinely pleasant. The weather was euphoric; the days consisted of a steady cool breeze, complimented consummately by an ample dose of sunlight.

Battles had been frequent, but not overwhelming. The dark-haired boy had accumulated quite a hefty sum of earnings, and provided his pokemon with a great opportunity to gain some valuable experience.

Growth had been evident amidst his team. However, over the next few days, Ash found it necessary to spend as much time as possible training, while also doing his best not to over-extend the remaining duration of the trip.

At the present moment, his attention was zeroed in on Growlithe, as they worked hard to complete their quest to master _flame_-_wheel_…

"Ignite and immerse!" bellowed Ash.

Growlithe took a deep breath, before slightly opening his maw. He rapidly exhaled, immediately blanketing his head and forelegs in an ensemble of fire. He simultaneously pushed his inner-flame out of the eccrine glands in his back paws, completing the process of engulfment.

"Create the wheel!"

By intensely increasing the velocity of his _flame-based_ discharge, the puppy pokemon raised his body off of the dirt. He proceeded to further augment the fire that was disembogued by the glands in his back paws, catapulting his body forward at a formidable speed.

Ash smirked in response to the sizzling byproduct of hard-work. The wheel of fire had submitted under Growlithe's will; he skillfully steered his body around the clearing with ferocity.

"That's it!" howled an excited Ash. "You finally got it!"

Growlithe ceased the arrant ignition, sliding smoothly to a sparkling halt. Ash took a brief moment to let Growlithe cool, before congratulating him with a proud pat on the head.

"That was awesome buddy," said Ash. "We finally completed it."

Growlithe happily yapped in response to Ash's praise.

Ash winked. "Now let's do it one more time."

The puppy pokemon briskly bolted, obediently carrying out his trainer's request. He erupted into a ring of fire, swiftly revolving like a reckless bowling ball.

Ash's smile stretched from cheek to cheek. _Flame wheel_ could _finally_ be relied on in battle.

XXX

"You almost had it that time!" cheered Ash encouragingly; as he watched Clefairy's minimize rebound, causing her to jerkily expand back to her typical size.

Clefairy smashed her fist into the ground in frustration. She was so close. All she needed was a little more concentration.

"Don't lose your cool," said Ash. "It's difficult enough when you're level headed."

Taking Ash's advice, Clefairy took a deep breath, relaxing her mind in preparation for another try. She looked deep within herself, locating, and then calling upon the difficult technique's required thaumaturgic energy. She secured it with her mind, before calculating the correct amount of energy for a full-scale minimization. The fairy-type consciously distributed it into her cells, gaining command over every morsel of her being. She squeezed; once the thaumaturgic energy re-calibrated the substance of her cells, she was able to trigger a reduction.

Ash and Growlithe watched, as Clefairy's body illuminated a bright auroral pink, before rapidly shrinking to about a fourth of its original size. Ash anxiously held his breath. The upcoming part was what _always_ gave her the most trouble.

The thaumaturgic energy pulled, wanting desperately to return to its natural niche. Clefairy mentally yanked back in attempt to stabilize the skittish power. It vibrated within her cells, trying to find a way to slip out. She continued to wrestle it with her mind, using every bit of focus she had to maintain its positioning.

Ash looked down to his right - he internally laughed at what he saw. Growlithe was closing his eyes, evidently nervous. His distressed behavior was apparently triggered by watching his pink friend botch so many previous attempts. Ash abruptly frowned. Growlithe's _lighthearted_ nervous display, reminded him of the much more serious problem that he had yet to address. Something had to be done soon about Growlithe's hindering case of social anxiety.

Clefairy mentally attacked the energy, intentionally attempting to _force_ it to submit. It viciously fought back, as if its sole purpose was to frustrate its wielder. This time…Clefairy would not take no for an answer. She encased it within her will, leaving it with nowhere to go, and nothing to do but lie still. The thaumaturgic energy froze; it had no choice but to stabilize.

"Yes!" howled Ash, as Clefairy's external energy ceased to flicker, signifying that she had finally learned to maintain a reduction. "Now hold it."

Clefairy held the minimization for a considerable amount of time, before Ash had seen enough. "Good, relax."

Clefairy instantaneously shifted back to her original size, as the auroral pink cloak of energy dissipated.

Growlithe emitted a congratulatory bark, praising his friend for her hard work.

Clefairy raised a fist in celebration, while panting exhaustively.

Ash smiled. "Good, that's enough for today. Next time we learn to apply it to live battle."

Clefairy smirked; the hard part was now over. From here on out the completion of minimize would be much more enjoyable.

XXX

Bulbasaur determinedly tried combination after combination, mixing various measurements of _propofol_ and _fluothane _in order to conjure up the perfect anesthetic. Chemical computation was an intricate task. The slightest variance could lead to an entirely different reaction.

"How's it coming along?" asked Ash.

Bulbasaur grunted a _short_ response, cementing his focus on the current task.

"Got it," replied Ash, understanding that the saurian grass-type was in an intense state of centralization.

_Propofol_ is a natural chemical typically used for heavy sedation. Unfortunately, it is a liquid, making it unusable as a stand-alone chemical in sleep-powder. Besides, by itself it's extremely risky. If an improper dosage is given, _propofol_ can cause a lengthy coma. _Fluothane_ is an artificial inhalation sedative, formulated by the mixture of numerous natural chemicals. It isn't nearly as strong as _propofol, _and isn't guaranteed to put a larger pokemon to sleep. But the fact that it resolves in the form of a gas, makes it the perfect substance for a sleep-powder.

Fortunately, the combination of both _propofol _and _fluothane _has the potential to create a flawless anesthetic. In bulbasaur's last battle, he tested his most recent batch. It was almost perfect. It just needed to be a little more potent, which could easily be accomplished by an increase in the infused _propofol._

Bulbasaur separated the two solutions brewing within his bulb. He internally examined the last batch of sleep-powder, making a mental note of the exact measurements. He emptied its designated secretion sac, clearing space for the forthcoming concoction. The saurian kept the _fluothane's _measurement the same, filtering it out of his bulbs biological beaker. He then added the adjusted amount of _propofol, _before dumping the excess solution back into his near limitless supply of natural chemicals that continuously circulated throughout his bulb.

The saurian grass-type stirred the solution, confident that this would be the _final _batch. He then proceeded to filter it out of his bulb's natural beaker, and into sleep-powder's selected secretion sac.

It was complete...

Ash observed, as Bulbasaur exited his internal laboratory and came back to the real world.

"Are you finally done?" asked Ash.

Bulbasaur emitted a grunt of affirmation.

"Good, hopefully we come across another trainer," said Ash. "It would be nice to test it before we reach Vermillion."

XXX

"Duel-twister?" asked Ash, as he sat down next to his _giant _avian. Pidgeotto was presently preening off some of his excess molted feathers, after proving to Ash that he had without a doubt mastered feather-dance.

Pidgeotto stopped what he was doing to shake his head - the name didn't flow.

"Okay…well what about binary-twister?" questioned Ash. "It fits, right?"

The immense flying-type shook his head even more _vigorously_, signifying that his trainer was getting _colder_.

"Double-twister?

Pidgeotto blatantly rolled his eyes - double-twister was _way_ too _bland_.

"Do you even want twister to be in the name?" asked Ash. "Or, do you want something a little more _creative_?"

Pidgeotto indifferently shrugged. He honestly just wanted something that sounded _badass_.

"What about double-cyclone?"

Pidgeotto perked up a little bit, but still wasn't quite satisfied.

Ash's eyes lit up, as he thought of a name that both _exuded_ power and _smoothly _rolled off of the tongue. "_Twin-tempest…"_

In response to at last hearing the _winning _title_, _Pidgeotto chortled approvingly.

"_Twin-tempest _it is then," declared Ash.

Pidgeotto nodded, before using his large wings to raise himself from the ground. He relocated a good distance away from Ash, ensuring that his practice wouldn't endanger his trainer. Even though he could doubtlessly execute the technique without fail, he was still testing out the scope of its potential. Basically, he was trying to figure out the exact amount of power he could facilitate into both tempests, before the draconic energy mindlessly magnetized into one massive twister.

Ash watched from afar, as Pidgeotto arduously worked on ironing out _twin-tempest. _He'd give his flying-type another week to explore its potential, before they started to learn the "essential" _agility _technique.

_XXX_

The _large _boulder fractured in numerous places, before crumpling under the immense pressure of Charmander's focus punch.

"Good work!" praised Ash. "It's gotten so much stronger."

The fluorescent glow that enshrouded Charmander's fist faded. The fire-lizard smiled, as he proudly stared at his dominant fist.

_"_Pretty impressive," said Ash. "Now we just have to figure out a way to shorten the preparation time."

Charmander nodded his head in agreement, before nuzzling it affectionately against Ash's leg.

"Do you want to take a break?" asked Ash. "Or keep going?"

Charmander puffed up his chest and flexed his arms above his head - a blatant sign that he wished to continue.

"That's what I thought," replied Ash, with a smirk. "Eventually I'm going to have to start forcing you to take breaks."

Over the past week Ash had definitely noticed Charmander's praiseworthy work-ethic. Out of all of his pokemon, he would consider the fire-lizard to be his hardest worker. The fire-type thoroughly enjoyed the grind of training - the feeling he got from pushing himself beyond his limit was rather _addictive_.

"Okay, well I would like to get a better grip on how we're going to execute focus punch in battle, before we start to learn _dragon-rage."_

Charmander listened attentively, stretching his short stubby arms while Ash spoke.

"Although your full-power _focus-punch_ is strong enough," said Ash. "The amount of time it takes to charge poses a problem."

The fire-lizard continued to stretch. So far his trainer hadn't said anything that he didn't already know.

"In order to quicken the preparation process," said Ash, while crouching down to meet charmander's eyes with his own. "We're going to have to compromise the technique for a bit."

Charmander squinched his face peculiarly, as he tried to understand his trainer's logic.

"Right now we need to focus on speed," declared Ash, while eyeing his busy Growlithe. "Growlithe, take a break from your jaw conditioning. I need you for a second."

The fire-canine ceased his project of chewing through a dense stone, before obediently scampering over to his trainer's side.

"Alright, so I'm going to have Growlithe repetitively blitz you," informed Ash, as he pointed at Charmander. "You're going to counter with focus punch. I don't care how strong it is. Just keep Growlithe off of you. No other techniques are permitted...and you can't move from that spot."

Charmander readily grunted, while emitting two rambunctious flames from his nostrils.

Ash shifted his attention to Growlithe. "Just throw your body at him and try not to take a direct hit. It'll be good prep for when you start to learn _takedown."_

Growlithe accepted the challenge, happy to help his lizard friend.

"Charmander are you ready?" asked Ash.

Charmander's tail-flame flickered, as he lifted up both claws in preparation to charge up focus punch.

"Right on," replied Ash. "We start on your movement Growlithe."

The puppy pokemon wasted no time - he loaded his energy into his hind legs before taking off like a gunshot.

Charmander dug his feet into the ground, as he focused his energy into his dominant right arm. He desperately tried to load the technique as fast as possible.

Ash anxiously watched, as Growlithe jetted towards a stationary Charmander. Right before the collision occurred, the fire-lizard's dominant fist glowed vibrantly. The fire-lizard's focus-_punch_ managed to repel Growlithe's sloppy, makeshift, _takedown_. There was enough power packed into the punch to cause Growlithe to bounce off of him. However, his momentum was merely diverted. Charmander needed much more strength in his _quick-fire _focus-punch, in order to cause any actual damage.

Growlithe slid across the dirt, as he gathered himself in the process. Charmander swiveled his body around in preparation for the next assault.

Ash smirked, as his two fire-types sparred with passion. Training two pokemon of the same type had turned out to be a blessing. Charmander and Growlithe both pushed each other in a way that only they could fully comprehend.

It was…inspiring.

XXX

Ash was concernedly sitting up in his sleeping bag, while handling Squirtle's pokeball gently. He was in deep thought, trying hard to come up with a strategy to attain the troubled water-type's loyalty.

Growlithe and Bulbasaur burrowed up against their trainer, sensing that he was being consumed by his own thoughts. The puppy pokemon curiously yipped in attempt to procure his best-friend's attention. Bulbasaur waved his vines in front of Ash's line of sight, doing whatever he could to break his trainer's mindless trance.

Ash looked up from Squirtle's pokeball, falling victim to his friend's plot to distract him. "What is it? Why are you guys doing that?"

Bulbasaur used one of his vines to point towards Squirtle's pokeball, while emanating ans inquisitive growl.

Ash sighed, as he caught on to what Bulbasaur was trying to say. "You want me to tell you what I'm thinking about...don't you?"

Growlithe and Bulbasaur nodded, while affirming a yes in their native tongues.

"It's really not that big of a deal guys," said Ash. "I'm just trying to figure out how to deal with Squirtle."

They both curiously tilted their heads, waiting patiently to hear what Ash had to say.

"Well, it's just…" muttered Ash. "I have a feeling he's going to be rather _difficult_."

Ash switched what hand secured Squirtle's pokeball, before wiping off the sweat that had accumulated on his palm. "I'm thinking about waiting until after we battle Lt. Surge to release him. There's no need to do it before then, and if he rebels I want us to be in a secluded place where no one will get hurt."

Both Bulbasaur and Growlithe nodded their head, understanding their trainer's logic and concern.

"I'm going to need all of your help," said Ash. "Squirtle's pain is deep, so deep that he's forgotten how to _feel_. It's going to take everybody's _influence_ to get him to open up to another trainer."

His pokemon murmured, accepting the challenge.

Ash sighed, as he looked up into the stars. "Thanks guys, it means a lot.

Growlithe and Bulbasaur snuggled up even closer to their trainer, while gazing at the night sky in wonder.

"By the way," said Ash, changing the subject. "I'm using both of you against surge. Be prepared for a tough battle."

Their eyes gleamed with vigor. They would soon partake in their very first gym battle. Ever since he was told he couldn't compete back at the Cerulean gym, Growlithe had been waiting for Vermillion City anxiously. Bulbasaur had been anticipating a chance to battle in a gym ever since Melanie had explained the pokemon league to him when he was a youngling.

Ash could feel the atmosphere around him shift, as his two friends entered a state of eagerness. He smiled, understanding the feeling. Truth is...he'd felt that way ever since he walked out of the Cerulean gym's door.

XXX

To be continued

XXX

A/N:

Phew… well that was a long chapter. I updated a day early because I have a busy day tomorrow and I don't know if I'll have time. I want to say thank you to everyone that has favorited and reviewed so far. It means a lot. Also, I want to address something right now. Just because I removed Ash's limit does not mean he's going to catch a million pokemon. Ash is selective, and is picky about what he trains. For the most part I removed Ash's limit because of character development. This way, when he does catch a new pokemon, I don't have to forfeit the other character's development. Besides, Bill felt that he owed Ash a favor… ;) making friends in high places has its benefits. Well anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Next month is Vermillion City and as much of the S.S. Anne as I can get done. The story will take a twist after S.S. Anne. I know my stories followed the canon in some ways but expect that to change. I'm not willing to budge on the update date. This chapter was more than 36,000 words and like 110 pages in word...therefore, I need as much time to write as possible. Don't expect every chapter to be that long... I don't use a beta reader so I also have to edit this thing two to three times by myself, so once a month is as good as it's going to get. If you want a question answered p.m. me. I'm not willing to disclose any serious info, but I'm willing to talk about some stuff.

Much love, _vincentgrey21_


	4. Kanto 4

Kanto 4: Essence

With Growlithe sitting anxiously by his side, Ash stood outside of Vermillion City's eastern conduit. The arching metal gate was old and rickety. It definitely wasn't what you'd expect from one of the three main entrances to a major city. The passage lied in between a wide gap in the city's encompassing walls. Suspended by the gate's upper arc was a tacky looking tarp sign that read: _Vermillion City. _

"Vermillion City...the city of sun," said Ash, as he glanced down at Growlithe. "We're finally here."

Growlithe responded with an aberrant _yap_. Ash could tell by the puppy pokemon's vocal inflection that he was nervous. Either Growlithe was over-excited for his gym battle, or wigged out because of the upcoming array of people. More than likely his anxiety stemmed from the ladder.

Ash crouched down to Growlithe's level. "Remember what we talked about…we have to face this fear head on. There's going to be a lot of people watching the league tournament_."_

Growlithe nervously nodded. In order to be a leader, he had to be brave. The puppy pokemon would do whatever it took to overcome his silly phobia.

Ash serenely smiled, before proudly patting the tuft on Growlithe's head. "That a boy...Just remember...I'm always right by your side."

The puppy pokemon forced out a confident grunt in attempt to trick his rising nerves.

"Would it help if I released Charmander?" asked Ash. "He'd be one more friend to help distract you from the anxiety."

Growlithe took a brief moment to mull it over, before nodding hesitantly.

Ash encouragingly smiled, as he detached Charmander's pokeball from his trainer belt. He proceeded to release the orange fire-lizard, who immediately scanned his surroundings.

"We've reached Vermillion City," reported Ash. "We're about to enter city limits. Would you like to walk with us?"

Charmander cheerfully squealed, as he hastily nodded his head up and down.

"Awesome," replied Ash, while reading the digital clock on his xtranceiver. "You guy's ready to get going then? I'd like to reach the Pokemon Center before noon."

Both fire-types grunted their consent, before following Ash through Vermillion City's shoddy entrance...

The city's eastern border was under heavy construction. Ash had been exploring within city limits for at least fifteen minutes, and had yet to see a single building that was up and running. There were construction workers everywhere, frenziedly engaged in different projects that varied in size and construction phase.

Most of the construction zones seemed to be industrial or commercial. Few sites were in there fitting-out or commissioning phases. The majority were either under groundworks, or just being topped-out_. _Ash saw numerous trained pokemon helping with some of the more arduous labor. He observed several muscular machoke using their incredible strength to aid with the heavy-lifting.

The dark-haired boy was blown away, as he watched two machoke effortlessly haul a massive steel beam that must have weighed more than a ton. While pointing out the impressive feat, Ash all of a sudden noticed that Charmander's demeanor had at some point polarized. Something had caused the fire-type to tense up. His eyes deviated from a warm and friendly gaze, to a desolate, icy stare.

"What's wrong Charmander?" asked Ash, as he waved his hand in front of the lizard-pokemon's fixed line of sight.

Charmander used his tremulous claw to point at one of the gray, reptilian faced, humanoid pokemon. The many preoccupied machoke were oblivious of the fire-lizards contempt. The superpower pokemon's presence drew out a side of Charmander that Ash had never seen before. It was frightening...the fire-type's malignant behavior consummately contradicted his usual easy-going personality.

"The machoke...?" asked Ash in a manner of confusion. "What's wrong with the machoke?"

Charmander gave Ash a pained look. In correspondence to the lizard pokemon's bizarre behavior, the boy could tell that there was a heavyhearted story.

…Something significant must have happened involving a member of the machoke species.

Growlithe fought through his social anxiety in order to check on his fellow fire-type. He communicated to Charmander with a series of _barks_ and _yips_, trying to use conversation to calm his troubled friend down.

Charmander retorted in his own form of speech, explaining to Growlithe the reason behind his antipathy. The puppy pokemon's initial reaction was a look of surprise, but he quickly suppressed it. Ash watched, as the puppy pokemon reasoned with the fire-lizard. Ash couldn't understand a lick of what they were saying. But judging by their body language and vocal-tone, it was pretty evident that Growlithe was trying to talk down Charmander's rage.

It took a while for Growlithe to get through to the fire-lizard. Throughout the intervention, Ash debated returning Charmander several times. He ultimately decided to let it play out. The dark-haired boy figured it would be more beneficial to address the problem now, than to unwisely let it fester over time. He wasn't quite sure what the details of the issue pertained, but right now that didn't matter. The boy's only concern was the abrupt change in the lizard pokemon's disposition at the sight of an innocent machoke.

Once Charmander was calm enough for Ash to make sense of; the boy interjected. "Maybe I can help…is there any way you can explain what's going on?"

Growlithe stepped back, allowing Charmander to portray his pain. The fire-lizard stood in front of Ash, using his sorrowful inflection in accompaniment with a multitude of gestures to create an image for his trainer.

Ash tried to follow, as Charmander used a complex arrangement of charades to explain himself. It took quite some time, but Ash was finally able to decipher a story that actually made sense.

And if what he'd interpreted was accurate…Charmander's animosity was understandable.

"So it was a machoke, eh?" questioned Ash — still skeptical of his deduction. "You're telling me that a machoke is responsible for the condition that I found you in?"

Charmander nodded, once again confirming to Ash that he had correctly deciphered what the fire-lizard was trying to say. The dark-haired boy momentarily paused, careful when coming up with an appropriate plan of action.

"Do you really think that those machoke have anything to do with the one that hurt you?" queried Ash, as he sternly looked Charmander in the eye. "I'm a human — the same as Damian. Do I have anything to do with the trainer that abused and abandoned you?"

Charmander's eyes quivered, the fire-type was clearly conflicted.

"Just because something looks the same, doesn't mean it is," insisted Ash. "You can't judge a book by its cover. What lies inside is the only thing that matters…"

Charmander dropped his gaze, folding under his trainer's intensity.

"I didn't mean to intimidate you," said Ash. "I just want you to understand that everybody's different. Those machoke have done nothing wrong. They cannot be held accountable for every single member of their species."

Ash could tell by Charmander's change in behavior that he had gotten through to him. The fire-lizard's scorn had turned into guilt. His eye's turned solemn and his body language depicted shame. Charmander's pure heart convicted him of his abrupt outburst of hatred

The dark-haired boy had a feeling that the comparison of himself to Damian is would sealed the deal. If Ash could be the polar opposite of that egotistical prick — even though they belonged to the same species; than two machoke could be inverse in character, regardless of whether or not they're identical in appearance.

Ash gently patted Charmander on the head. "It's okay. We all have emotions…and emotions are bound to spiral out of control every once in a while."

Charmander looked up at his wise young trainer. Judging by the tears in his eyes, it was obvious that the fire-lizard was still distraught over his behavior.

Ash bent over with soft eyes, intently meeting Charmander's line of sight. "Look on the bright side of things...nobody got hurt. And luckily, the construction equipment was too loud for any of them to eavesdrop."

Charmander examined his surroundings, like his trainer said, his conniption had gone unnoticed. The machoke and construction workers went about their laborious work unknowingly, remaining entirely engrossed in their duties.

Charmander smiled, his cheeky orange dimples caused the tears under his eyes to rapidly fall from his face. The fire-lizard subsequently used his arm to wipe off the remaining liquid residue. He quickly made a mental promise to his inner-self that he wouldn't procure another reason to cry any time soon.

Ash curiously looked at Growlithe. He seemed to have discarded his anxiety in order to help him address Charmander's unexpected, emotional upheaval. The ten-year old boy internally giggled, he didn't quite have this scenario in mind when he said that Charmander would serve as a distraction for his puppy pokemon's apprehension.

"Are you okay to keep traveling?" asked Ash, as he brought his attention back to the fire-lizard. "As interesting as this construction site is, I'd like to get going…"

Charmander grunted, before decisively shifting his line of sight to the west. He lucidly conveyed that he was ready to move forward.

"Let's get going then," insisted Ash. "We've still got a long ways to go before we reach the Pokemon Center."

Both pokemon concurred, beckoning their trainer to lead the way.

As they finally cleared the entirety of the expansive construction site, the city opened up into a busy sea port. For the first time since entering city limits, Ash was able to get a visual of the ocean. He took a deep breath; breathing in the fresh air that was associated with the large body of water. No matter how many times he encountered the ocean, the awe-inspiring feeling he got from it was always just as satisfying.

As the boy ambulated through the enormous port, he bumped into all sorts of interesting individuals. Vermillion port was doubtlessly diverse. From hundreds of cargo workers to thousands of tourists, the multi-use port was brimming with people.

Ash periodically checked on Growlithe, who was desperately trying to overcome his phobia. The puppy pokemon trembled, while following as close to Ash as possible. The boy suppressed his desire to return his starter. Amidst his mixed emotions, Ash was able to acknowledge that short-term relief wouldn't help provide a long-term answer.

Charmander on the other hand, seemed to enjoy the active port. He was especially enthralled by the industrious freight workers that occupied the cargo harbors.

"Do you know what they're doing?" asked Ash, in reference to the cargo workers.

Charmander shook his head. The fire-lizard simply respected the tough grind of general hard-work. Anybody that pushed themselves to their limit, at any respective task, was worthy of his adoration.

"You see those ships," said Ash, as he pointed. "They're loading all types of cool stuff onto them. Every region has its' own unique resources, making international trade essential in our world. Cargo ships, like the ones over there, are one of the many ways that us humans export and import different goods overseas."

Ash watched, as Charmander seemingly processed what he had just said.

"Does that makes sense?" questioned Ash.

Charmander nodded; for the most part he understood everything that Ash had just explained to him. The _humans_ were basically sending stuff back and forth to other _humans_ that lived faraway — simple enough...

Ash indicatively pointed at a specific cargo ship. "That one over there…Do you see the writing on the side? That's its name. It's called the _S.S. Sinnoh Conveyor_. It must be a ship from the faraway Sinnoh region that's currently delivering some of our requested imports."

Ash took a momentary pause to check on Growlithe. The poor little guy was too busy trying to overcome his social anxiety, to pay any attention to Ash's brief synopsis of the international trade-system.

As they passed through the final cargo harbor, and crossed over to the sea port's smaller cruise zone, Ash was able to make out the city's primary commercial district. In the distance he saw numerous buildings and skyscrapers; the streets looked to be flooded with an absurd amount of vehicle traffic.

Ash had never been to Vermillion City before, so the spectacle was actually quite amazing_. _To his left lay the ocean. Docked in the port's cruise zone were two internationally famous cruise ships — the_ S.S. Anne _and the _S.S. Aqua. _Ash wasn't quite sure what Vermillion City's docking schedule looked like, but he figured that it was a rarity that both colossal luxury ships were docked at the same time. Maybe there was some kind of upcoming special event….

The heart of the city was to his right. It was lively and boisterous. Ash could hear the distinctly rowdy sounds of honking car horns and wild people. No matter how many trips he made into a major city, he always had the same astonished reaction. Culture shock was a very real phenomenon, especially after entering a big city in subsequence to a long duration of rural travel.

Ash responsibly checked the digital map on his xtranceiver_._ The pink dot that signified the closest Pokemon Center was just a few miles northwest of his current location. The dark-haired boy took one last look at the harbor, for now, before motioning Charmander and Growlithe to follow him up into the bustling commercial zone.

Even though the streets were much busier than the port, Growlithe seemed to be calming down. Either the fire-type was responding well to the intense session of exposure therapy, or he was shutting down. But judging by the puppy pokemon's frequent communication with Charmander, Ash figured that Growlithe was beginning to pave the way towards a non-phobic response.

"How do you guys like Vermillion?" asked Ash, as they passed by a collection of street vendors. "I think it's pretty cool."

Charmander squealed elatedly, expressing his admiration for the lively city.

Growlithe quietly nodded. Regardless of how simple the response was, Ash took it as a step of progress. The fact that the canine pokemon could even acknowledge his surroundings around this many people was a breakthrough.

"Good," continued Ash. "Now keep your eyes peeled. The Pokemon Center should be coming up any second now."

Ash, Growlithe, and Charmander continued to walk down the active streets of Vermillion City. Every once in a while, they would stop to partake in some window shopping or listen to the frequent street performer. But for the most part, they moved along briskly. Ash's anticipation for his gym battle was rapidly beginning to get out of control. He couldn't wait to arrive at the Pokemon Center. That way he could quickly get his pokemon restored to full-strength, before heading over to the Vermillion City Gym.

Growlithe was the first to locate Vermillion City's Pokemon Center. It was situated on a sectioned off street corner. Ash figured that the League was being cautious towards young trainers. It made perfect sense, given that the Pokemon Center was located in a very busy commercial district. The League, more than likely, didn't want to acquire any unnecessary lawsuits, because they didn't bestow appropriate safety measures regarding traffic.

Vermillion City's Pokemon Center was thus far the biggest he had been to. The center was three stories tall and immense in gamut. It was similar in design to the other major city's Pokemon Centers — no matter the location, the off-white exterior walls and bright pink roof never ceased to betray the norm. Ash assumed that there was some kind of official mandate enforced by League officials, concerning the external appearance of their pokemon centers.

Ash could tell that his pokemon were extremely excited about their arrival at the pokemon center. While Ash approached the center's door, Growlithe and Charmander were jumping up and down gleefully. There were very few things in this world that brought as much joy to his friend's hearts, as Nurse Joy's restoration machine.

The lobby was hectically swamped with trainers. Growlithe immediately began to quiver; so many people in such close proximity seemed to enhance his symptoms. This time, Ash decided that he'd return his friend. The puppy pokemon had already had a pretty hefty helping of exposure therapy today. Besides, he would have to return him soon anyway. Most pokemon centers required a trainer's pokemon to be in their pokeballs in order to use the restoration machine.

While Ash and Charmander waited in the line to see Nurse Joy, the boy eavesdropped on several other trainers' conversations. The most interesting sliver of information he picked up, was the reason behind the docking of both the _S.S. Aqua_ and the _S.S. Anne_.

The _S.S. Aqua_ was simply following typical protocol. Apparently, the ship was docked to perform its usual duties of taking people, to and from, the Johto region's main sea port in Olivine City. The boy was able to learn that the luxury cruise ship departed every Wednesday and returned every Sunday. Since tomorrow was Wednesday, the _S.S. Aqua_ would be departing for the neighboring Johto region soon.

The docking of the _S.S. Anne_ was much more interesting. Ash actually had its agenda explained to him by a stocky red headed girl waiting directly behind him in line. The S.S. Anne was supposedly docked outside of its usual schedule. The freckled girl elucidated that the gargantuan cruise ship was celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. In honor of its fifty straight years of flawlessly transporting people back and forth from the far land of Sinnoh — the League was funding a week long trainer getaway. The ship would circle the entirety of the region. Throughout the trip there would be all kinds of spectacular events, including a single elimination tournament — in which all trainers onboard would be permitted to enter.

"So when does the ship leave?" asked Ash, as they slowly neared the front desk.

"It leaves Saturday," replied the short female trainer. "Originally it was supposed to leave on Thursday, but apparently not enough people could afford the outrageous ticket price."

"How does pushing back the departure date help fix a problem like that," said Ash. "Wouldn't it be more beneficial for the League to just lower the ticket cost."

She smirked. "That certainly makes sense…but the Champion came up with another solution.

"Lance did?" questioned Ash with a raised eyebrow. "What did he come up with?"

The redheaded girl chuckled. "Lance thought it would be a brilliant idea to have trainers battle for a ticket. I guess anyone that can manage to defeat Lt. Surge this week, gets a free pass aboard the ship."

Ash scoffed. "You're kidding me...So all you've got to do is beat Surge, eh?"

"Easier said than done," retorted the freckled girl. "Surge isn't exactly a pushover…Why do you think the Pokemon Center's so packed right now…?"

Ash quickly cleared up the misunderstanding. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just...how could something like that possibly benefit the League. It hardly seems like a good financial move."

The girl shrugged. "Who knows? Whatever the reason is...I'm not complaining. A fair chance at an all-expense paid vacation is pretty damn awesome. A deal like this is usually only offered in one of those border-line, impossible sweepstake giveaways."

"Fair enough" replied Ash.

The ten-year old boy spent the rest of the time in line considering whether or not he could realistically afford to take a week off from his travels. A week was a considerable amount of time. The only thing making it possible was the fact that it was an event planned for trainers. There would without a doubt be some kind of training facility on board. Not to mention the single elimination tournament sounded like it would be good experience for his friends.

As Ash finally approached the front-desk, he decided to push off a decision until after his gym battle. The dark-haired boy figured he still had three days before the ship departed. And as of right now, he wasn't even in possession of a ticket. If he wanted a chance to board the _S.S. Anne_, he'd have to focus on defeating Surge first. The surprising, once in a lifetime opportunity to ride the _S.S. Anne_, didn't alter his original plan of action. The reason behind his stop in Vermillion City was the Thunder Badge. He'd worry about recreational fun later. Right now he had to take care of business.

XXX

After checking into the pokemon center and getting his pokemon healed by Nurse Joy's restoration machine, Ash waited in a long line outside of the Vermillion City Gym. He would be lying if he said he wasn't annoyed. Surge's gym was significantly backed up because of the valuable reward of an _S.S. Anne_ ticket. Ash worried that unless the line's pace suddenly picked up, he'd be stuck outside of the gym until sunset.

As Ash gradually approached the large, modern, dome-shaped structure; he carefully observed the mannerisms of the many trainers that continuously poured out of the gym's automated glass-doors. The majority of the challengers walked out sluggishly, failing to exude an attitude that portrayed triumph. Every so often, a trainer would skip out with a smile on their face. Throughout the entirety of Ash's wait, he counted only seven trainers that presented a demeanor exhibiting a win. The ratio was hardly in the challenger's favor, given that there were at least a hundred people waiting in the long line.

After several hours of cursing under his breath, Ash finally reached the gym's front door. Above the entrance was a massive insignia of a lightning bolt. It was welded vertically onto the face of the building, conveying an almighty illustration of electricity stabbing through the heavens. Ash took a momentary pause to soak in the moment, before being pushed along by an impatient trainer standing directly behind him.

Upon entrance into the gym's dim foyer, Ash jerked when he abruptly came face to face with a tall, rough looking man. His hair was buzzed, and he was wearing an unbuttoned black leather-jacket with no undershirt.

"Welcome to Lt. Surge's gym!" howled the intimidating man. "How many badges, kid?"

Ash jumped at the sudden loud voice, before gathering himself to reply. "Just one…"

"Just one, eh?" reiterated the ruffian, before turning around with a shout. "You here that Surge? You gotta use the league registered team!"

"I heard you dammit!" thundered a voice from somewhere in the back of the dark room. "I'm not friggin' deaf!"

Ash squinted, as a bright light suddenly switched on, unexpectedly making the large room visible. The gym's original lighting made its access look like an entrance hall; apparently his eyes were just being deceived by an artificial, dusky mirage. The entirety of the gym was one commodious room. In the center laid its only feature — a large dirt arena. It was covered in evident proof of battle. Ash saw various craters and blemishes that seemed to be allegedly created by a hodgepodge of elements. It was very clear that the gym had been extremely active as of late.

"Sorry sir!" wailed the man in the leather jacket. "It won't happen again!"

"You've been saying that for years!" roared the giant of a man. "Maybe it's time I find a new doorman!"

Ash took a good look at the lieutenant. The man was absolutely humongous — perhaps the biggest human-being he had ever seen. He was at least seven-feet tall, and his bronze body appeared to have been chiseled out of a slab of stalwart granite. The gym leader's blonde, spiked hair was doused in gel. He wore a tight, sleeveless, army-green muscle tee and a pair of official camo pants. His pants were neatly tucked into a doublet of black, heavy-duty army boots. Hanging from his trunk-like neck was a collection of tattered military dog-tags.

"But sir…" whimpered the delinquently dressed door-man.

"Lighten up, Jace!" boomed Surge, in a burst of laughter. "It was just a joke!"

"Right…" stuttered the man known as Jace, as he awkwardly wiped the nervous sweat from his forehead. "I knew that…"

Surge placed both of his hands on his hips, as he continued to laugh like a cannonade. "Your face tells a different tale! You look like you've just seen a friggin' ghost!"

Ash held back a chuckle, before Lt. Surge pointed at him. "What do you think kid? Doesn't he look like he's about to crap his pants?"

Jace's face was bright red, clearly exuding embarrassment.

Ash briefly glanced at Jace, before looking back at the giant gym leader honestly. "Pretty much...yeah, he does."

"Dammit kid," whispered Jace, as he kept his eyes on Surge. "Don't add fuel to his cruel sense of humor."

"You're awfully blunt kid! I like that!" thundered Surge. "What's your name?"

Ash ignored Jace's quiet comment, responding quickly to the lieutenant. "...Ash Ketchum, nice to meet you!"

Surge unclipped one of the many pokeballs securely fastened around his black, rope-like belt. "—Ash Ketchum, eh? Well nice to meet ya kid…now tell me, have you come here for the thunder badge...or the blasted ticket?"

Ash smirked. "Both."

Surge fiendishly smiled. "Hmm I see…you're a greedy one. Tell me...which do you want more?"

"The badge," replied Ash. "I just found out about the ticket earlier today. I've been waiting for a chance to earn the Thunder Badge my whole life."

Surge's sadistic smile turned into an expression of satisfaction. "Well damn...let's not waste any more time then! Jace hurry your ass into the officiating box, it's time to battle!"

The officiate zone was safely established off to the side of the arena. Jace scurried over to the risen platform, before addressing Ash. "Do you know the rules kid?"

Ash nodded. "Two-on-two, right?"

"Exactly, also once a pokemon is released, they cannot be returned until they're unconscious — unless you wish to forfeit them."

"Gotcha," retorted Ash, before pivoting his gaze back in the direction of Surge. "I'm ready whenever you are!"

Ash calmly removed Bulbasaur's pokeball. He had already predetermined that he would start the battle off with his grass-type.

Surge enlarged his pokeball in quick response, clearly waiting on Jace's cue.

"This is a two-on-two official battle between challenger Ash Ketchum, and gym leader Lt. Surge! The battle will end once one trainer has lost both of their pokemon! Let the carnage begin!"

With a look of determination, Ash hoisted Bulbasaur's pokeball out onto the nearest half of the arena. The dark-haired boy simultaneously watched, as Lt. Surge's spherical contraption was lofted onto his half of the battlefield at a casual velocity.

Ash stared straight ahead, meticulously analyzing, while the bright lights corresponding to both releases faded into obscurity. Left in wake of the vibrant flash was Ash's assiduous Bulbasaur and Lt. Surge's smug-looking voltorb.

Lt. Surge raised an eyebrow at the sight of the saurian grass-type. "A bulbasaur, eh? I haven't seen one of those in years!"

Ash ignored Surge's comment and carefully observed the _voltorb. _The half red, half white, spherical specimen, rolled around the dirt heedlessly, consciously emitting a trail of electricity wherever it went. Ash watched Bulbasaur's scarlet-red eyes dart back and forth, analyzing the bizarre creature's movements.

"Vaporize it!" boomed Surge.

Voltorb instantaneously rotated, while enveloping itself in a coat of seething electricity. It momentarily paused, glaring at Bulbasaur for a split-second, before unleashing a violent _spark_ attack.

Bulbasaur's eyes grew wide, as he brusquely dodged to the right. He barely avoided the first spark of electricity, before quickly maneuvering around a second. The saurian fleetly slid across the gravel, stirring up an airy cloud of dust in the process. He glared down a third attempt, while dexterously protruding his vines. The nimble grass-type smacked his rope-like appendages against the ground, using them as an impetus to launch himself into the air.

Ash watched, as Bulbasaur tactfully wafted above the ground. He examined voltorb, who was preparing to load another spark attack.

"Leech seed, now!"

Bulbasaur promptly fired a plethora of high-velocity, emerald-colored seeds. They whisked through the gym, desperately yearning for a host.

Ash grimaced in response to Voltorb's quick deterrence. The electric-type projected an accurate _sonic boom, _scrunching its face as the _leech_ _seeds_ exploded in mid-air.

Bulbasaur skillfully landed — keeping his eyes cemented on the ball-pokemon. He proceeded to impel a second flurry of seeds. They cut through the air like a barrage of missiles, honing in on their targeted host.

Voltorb squint its eyes — pulling the trigger on a second _sonic boom_. The burst of energy whistled through the air and exploded upon contact, disarming the majority of the attack. Unfortunately for Voltorb, a single seed penetrated the sonic explosion. It made contact with the living sphere, instantaneously sprouting into a web of parasitic vines. The energy-draining net pulsated into a bright-green color, immediately signifying that its mission had been initiated.

Surge's Voltorb spun out into a bypass, intentionally screeching throughout the process. Bulbasaur howled, as the _screech_ pierced his eardrums, causing him to momentarily become distracted. Voltorb took advantage of the forced opening, firing a quick succession of _sparks_ in attempt to deal damage to the grass-type.

The grass-type was belted by the anterior _spark, _but managed to shake off the buffet quick enough to dodge the rest of the enfilade. He jetted across the arena, allowing the _leech seed _to drain another installment of Voltorb's energy. The ball-pokemon squinched its eyes, as the entanglement of vines once again oscillated. Bulbasaur felt the stolen energy pulse within his bulb. He facilitated it throughout his body, healing the minimal damage he had taken from the blast of electricity.

"That thing's friggin' fast!" bellowed Surge, as he clenched his fists. "Voltorb, smash it with rollout!"

Voltorb briefly circulated in place, before launching itself towards Bulbasaur like a cannonball. It crashed back to the ground just short of the saurian, preparing to create a turbulent collision.

Bulbasaur once again used his vines to catapult himself into the air. He soared above the arena, upside down, observing as Voltorb jarringly cancelled its' rollout. The grass-type looked down, as another increment of the voltorb's energy was snatched away from its being and absorbed into his bulb.

"Poison Powder!" commanded Ash, as he witnessed Bulbasaur incidentally float into perfect positioning.

Bulbasaur caught onto his trainer's plan, unsealing his poison powder's designated secretion sac.

LT. Surge's eyes lit up, as he reacted to the command. "Get out of there!"

"Enhance your scope!" howled Ash. "Emit a widespread release!"

The grass-type expanded his secretion sac, while instantaneously expediting more of his stored, custom-made toxin. He dispensed his loaded batch, showering almost half of the arena in a potent cloud of purple.

Voltorb screeched, as the intense poison seeped into its body through its' narrow eye-sockets. Its' orb shaped body simultaneously convulsed, as it was hit by the duel influence of _leech seed_ and _poison powder._

Bulbasaur fell back to the ground, landing within the dissipating cloud of poison. Ash smiled — pleased by his saurian's incredible display. The focus required in order to magnify poison powder's range, without contaminating either trainer, was exhaustively scrupulous. As the cloud completely vanished, Ash could see that Voltorb was in bad shape. The ball-pokemon periodically broke out into spasms, while he fought the two burdensome conditions.

"Crap!" cursed Surge, while lowering his eyebrows. "I forgot how friggin' troublesome a bulbasaur can be."

"I'm glad that I've been able to refresh your memory," angled Ash. "Now Bulbasaur, hit it hard with a takedown!"

Bulbasaur sprinted towards Voltorb, aimlessly kicking up dirt in the process. Voltorb's eyes grew wide, as it watched the saurian grass-type bound towards him at an expeditious rate.

"Eerie impulse!" thundered Surge. "Dodge if you can!"

Ash knew exactly what the electric-type specialist was up to. _Eerie impulse _was an electric-based status technique. The user essentially creates a peculiar off-set _thunder wave _that seeps into a pokemon's elemental tract; thus creating a thin electrical coat that is emitted at the focal point of the targets elemental attacks.

The ten-year old boy thought about changing up his plan of action, so that he could avoid the bizarre technique — but ultimately decided against it. He didn't want to run the risk of getting hit by an _eerie pulse, _without causing any damage to voltorb — which was entirely possible if Bulbasaur was caught off guard by an unexpected command.

Voltorb disembogued the strange yellow wave of electricity. It squiggled through the air like a worm, before making contact with an imprudent, airborne Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur felt the strange electricity percolate within his bulb — locating the access point to all of his available elemental techniques. He simultaneously was hit by a nasty recoil, as his body heedlessly collided with the rigid ball-pokemon.

Ash winced, as Bulbasaur painfully shook off the afflictive recoil. Voltorb rapidly rolled across the arena confusedly, blatantly nearing unconsciousness. It finally passed into comatose, once its' remaining energy was snatched away by an unmerciful combination of both _leech seed_ and the toxins within its body.

Lt. Surge smirked, as he knowingly returned his first pokemon.

"Good job Bulbasaur!" yelled Ash, in response to the victory. "How are you feeling? Do you think you can keep going?"

Bulbasaur nodded with a grimace, while enduring the after-effects of _take-down._

_"_That's a tough pokemon you got there, runt!" boomed Surge with a sadistic smile, as he unclipped his second pokeball from his belt. "Its' got a good handle on its status techniques!"

_"_Thanks!" exclaimed Ash. "We've worked hard on them!"

"If you teach it some more elemental attacks it could grow into a real monster," suggested Surge. "Until then, it's going to have a tough time with my next pokemon!"

Surge heaved his second pokeball out onto the battlefield. Right before it made contact with the ground it rapidly snapped open, releasing an energetic display of bright light. When the luminous flash faded, a raichu stood in its wake.

Ash knew it was coming — Surge's raichu was practically a living legend. There were very few league registered pokemon as infamous as the fully-evolved electric mouse. The brute was well known for its hard-hitting electric attacks and ruthless lack of mercy. Voltorb was merely an opening act — Raichu was the Vermillion City gym's petrifying main event.

Raichu's vehement black eyes leered at Bulbasaur. Its facial expression reminded him of Pidgeotto, as it fiendishly smiled at the grass-type. Judging by its countenance, Ash could tell it breathed for nothing but battle. With every second that went by the blood-thirsty look Raichu advertised grew more and more barbarous.

The bipedal mouse pokemon's dark orange fur erected, as it diffused two arcs of electricity out of the yellow pouches on its cheeks. It pounded its two, round, dark-brown paws together, while intimidatingly whipping its bolt-shaped tail violently against the ground. Its bifurcated yellow and brown ear's quavered, reacting to Raichu's sudden crouch. It arrogantly got in a four-point stance in preparation to dispatch.

Surge swiftly pointed ahead with fire in his eyes. "Crush it, Raichu!"

Raichu exploded out of its stance, bursting toward Bulbasaur as fast as a speeding bullet. The grass-type frantically struggled to keep up with the mouse-pokemon's movements. He tried to stay calm, as the rodent seemingly vanished out of sight. There was a brief pause, before Bulbasaur felt a looming presence. He quickly turned around to find an impending Raichu. It appeared next to him bearing a perverse smile, intentionally unveiling itself in order to instill fear. All of a sudden, he felt a sharp pain in his side. The saurian watched out of the corner of his eye, while Raichu viciously struck him with both of his paws.

"Bulbasaur!" Ash blustered, as he watched his grass-type involuntarily soar across the arena

"That's gotta hurt!" heckled Surge, while Bulbasaur simultaneously crashed onto the hard tile that lied outside of the arena. "Raichu's _slam_ is as nasty as they come!"

The dark-haired boy cringed in response to the clamorous impact. He helplessly watched Bulbasaur roll across the gym, while forcing his eyes to remain open throughout the entire crash. When the saurian's momentum finally came to a stop, the grass-type wrestled to his feet. He was bruised and battered — his legs wobbled as he fought to stand up.

Raichu folded his arms, while continuing to grin malevolently. He beat his tail against the ground like a whip-cracker. As the tip made contact, it caused streaks of electricity to discharge across the dirt. Ash gritted his teeth in response to the discordant hiss of electricity. The grating sound it created was even more jarring than the sound of nails on a chalk-board.

...The dark-haired boy racked his brain in attempt to come up with a strategy.

"Bulbasaur! Are you okay?" bellowed Ash, making sure his grass-type was still able to continue.

Bulbasaur painfully nodded, as he slowly plodded back over to the arena. He stared down Raichu, while brewing a new batch of _poison powder_ in the process. He debated using _sleep powder, _but quickly excused the idea. He probably wouldn't get more than one opportunity to make an impact on Growlithe's battle, and he figured he shouldn't risk using his most recently brewed _sleep powder _against a formidable opponent like Raichu. If the _sleep powder_ was a dud — it would be a missed opportunity. _Poison powder _was a much more plausible choice.

As Bulbasaur breached the arena, the electric mouse instantaneously took off in a blur. Ash's stomach dropped when he realized that he wouldn't have enough time to give a command. The dark-haired boy watched, as a shaft of lightning precipitously appeared above the battlefield. Ash heard the sound of Surge's booming laughter in the background. The gym leader was obviously enjoying the battle.

Raichu's _thunderbolt _cackled and shrieked, while it conjured in the air. The boy suddenly caught a glimpse of Bulbasaur's expression, as the bolt of electricity tore through the atmosphere. The grass-type smirked serenely — erupting from his bulb at the moment of impact was an expansive blast of purple. Its chemicals created a sparkle in the air, while it ascended in the shape of a cylindrical pillar.

Raichu's countenance portrayed a slight glint of fear, as he was enveloped in Bulbasaur's full-power_ poison-powder_.

The grass-type was synchronously struck by Raichu's _thunderbolt. _Ash flinched, while listening to Bulbasaur's high-pitched clamor.

When the chaos finally ceased, Raichu stood resolutely in the arena. The only differences in his appearance was that his eyes looked slightly tired, which was probably caused by the foreign toxins that were now coursing throughout his bloodstream. In addition, his coat had a slight purple-tint to it — an obvious byproduct of the several grains of _poison powder _that were presently embedded in his fur.

Bulbasaur lied still — he was slightly charred and blatantly unconscious. A beam of red-light shot across the dirt arena, as Ash returned his grass-type to his pokeball. The dark-haired boy looked down at Bulbasaur's pokeball proudly. It sat in his sweaty hand idly, ready to be clipped back to its designated spot on his trainer belt.

"You were awesome," praised Ash, while he clipped his friend's pokeball back to his belt. "I couldn't be more proud of you."

"That's a hell of a Bulbasaur, kid!" bellowed Surge. "I've never seen one with that much power stored in its bulb!"

"He's definitely special!" retorted Ash, as he handled Growlithe's pokeball. "Now let's finish this!"

Surge smiled ferociously. "It's your move Ketchum!"

Ash responded by lofting Growlithe's pokeball into the air, triggering his release. After the blast of bright light subsided, the puppy-pokemon stood in the arena regally. It took him a split-second to recognize Raichu's presence, before he crouched into a defensive position. Growlithe expelled an abbreviate blast of fire out of his maw, while preparing for a vicious battle.

"A Growlithe, eh?" queried Surge. "Should be interesting…"

Ash wasted no time. "Ember barrage!"

Growlithe called upon his inner-flame, before firing a surplus of high-temperature fire balls. They streaked across the arena, whisking through the air like a fleet of _gastly. _Ash watched Raichu grimace, as the poison in its body assaulted his insides. The fully-evolved rodent quickly shook off the pain, before using a quick attack unconventionally to avoid the enfilade of fire.

The puppy-pokemon reacted quickly, enshrouding himself in an array of scorching hot fire. He used _flame wheel_ to promptly close the distance between Raichu and himself, meeting the electric mouse head-on in a fury. Raichu's eyes lit up, as he witnessed Growlithe keep up with his incredible speed. The electric-type was simultaneously hit by another wave of toxins, as the poison-powder continued to damage him from the inside-out. Raichu's momentary flinch created an opportunistic opening. Growlithe's_ flame wheel_ collided with Raichu, causing the electric-mouse to painfully shriek. It was launched across the arena, landing jarringly on the opposite side closest to Lt. Surge.

"Raichu get up now!" ordered Surge. "Use electro-ball!"

Raichu used his paws to nimbly spring himself back up to his feet. With a stiff upper lip he raised his tail into the air, initiating the formulation of a crackling sphere of electricity. The orb grew at the tip of its tail, remaining stationary because of the magnetizing power of Raichu's rear extremity.

Growlithe dashed across the battlefield expeditiously, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. He wasn't going to just standby leisurely and allow Raichu to hone in on a definite location. Out of his peripherals, the fire-type witnessed the electric mouse propel his electro-ball. It ripped through the air, hissing like an _ekans_. The large ball of electricity rapidly closed in on him; Ash wondered if Raichu was somehow facilitating some type of heat-seeking energy into his technique. However, he decided to respond otherwise, there wasn't even close to enough proof to act on such a foolhardy whim.

"Flame wheel to dodge!" roared Ash, as he witnessed the proximity between Growlithe and the electro-ball quickly shrink. "Hit it if you can!"

Growlithe bolted toward the electro-ball at full tilt. Right when the sphere of electricity was about to make contact, the puppy-pokemon sheathed himself within an unrestrained _flame wheel. _He spun head over once, before using his front paws to sling himself into the air. The canine glided over the electro-ball, looking like an inflamed meteor blasting through the atmosphere.

Ash watched Raichu scowl, as the electro-ball barely missed its target. The mouse pokemon was then forced to use his quick attack to dodge, before deciding to counter with a curt, jabbing _thundershock_.

"Growlithe dodge!"

Ash's plea was too late. Growlithe was hit by Raichu's quick-fire electric strike as he concurrently expelled his _flame-wheel. _The puppy-pokemon winced, while the high-voltage electricity coursed throughout his body. Growlithe shook off the pain — not allowing it to dictate the battle whatsoever.

"Counter with another ember barrage!" bellowed Ash, while he watched Raichu once again make a wry face because of the poison that flowed throughout his veins.

The puppy Pokemon released another plethora of fire-balls. They navigated through the air at an astonishing rate. Each individual ember spread out sporadically, making it nearly impossible to decipher their different landing points. Raichu endured another knife-like poison strike, while darting his eyes back in forth in attempt to find a weak point in the battery of fire.

"Over there!" thundered Surge, as he pointed at a gap in the barrage that was on the opposite side of the battlefield. "Hurry!"

Ash thought he sensed a little bit of uncertainty in Surge's voice. For the first time today, he could tell that the lieutenant was nervous. "More fire, Growlithe!"

His fire-type obediently emitted even more flames. They shot through the air similar to the previous barrage — this time filling in the gaps. With nowhere to go, Raichu was hit by a wall of fire. The electric-mouse screeched like the wheels of a car spinning out on asphalt, while being hit by the scorching-hot palisade.

Once the shriek subsided the gym was quiet. Ash watched, as the smoke from the attack gradually faded. When all was clear, Raichu remained standing. He was wearied and charred, barely able to remain on his feet. The dark-haired boy cringed, when he witnessed Raichu once again be struck by an intramural wave of poison.

Nevertheless, the electric-type somehow remained standing. Raichu achingly forced a sadistic smile, while raising his tail in the air.

"That's it Raichu, hang in there!" boomed Surge. "One last chargedup_ thunderbolt_!"

Being contrived in the air was a large bolt of electricity. It crepitated above the gym, yearning for its release. Raichu snickered throughout the charge, coughing up poison infused muck in the process.

"This is it!" howled Ash. "Hit it with the strongest _flame wheel_ you've got!"

Growlithe reached down into the core of his inner-flame, withdrawing as much fire as possible. He released it wildly from his maw and the rear eccrine glands situated in his hind paws. His body instantaneously erupted in fire. The fire-type's wheel was expansive, nearly twice its average-size. He had traded endurance for power; his body would without a doubt be exhausted after this.

…There was a momentary pause, before the elements finally commenced.

Growlithe detonated out of his stance like a savage, bursting across the arena with victory in mind.

Raichu catapulted his risen thunderbolt, while his insides churned under the influence of Bulbasaur's toxins.

Both trainers clenched their fists and gritted their teeth, as they anxiously observed the two powers clash. Raichu's thunderbolt had the initial edge — the powerful electric attack put a dent in Growlithe's wheel, causing it to become stuck in its tracks.

However, Surge's countenance turned from a smile to a frown, as Growlithe persevered. He pushed forward, using his momentum to push back the _thunderbolt_. The encasement of fire temporarily shielded him, while he gradually closed the distance between himself and Raichu.

The electric mouse simply stood there. He barely had enough energy to stand, let alone flea. The _thunderbolt _fizzled out, as fire won the battle between equal elements. Ash thought he saw a last second smirk appear on Raichu's face, before he was ran over by a voracious, flame enshrouded Growlithe.

"You've gotta be friggin' kidding me!" boomed Surge, when he saw a scorched and unconscious Raichu embedded in the dirt surface.

"Hell yeah!" shouted Ash with a fist in the air, as Growlithe expelled his _flame-wheel._

"Raichu is unable to battle!" bellowed Jace from atop the dais. "All of Lt. Surge's pokemon have been defeated! The winner is challenger Ash Ketchum!"

The puppy-pokemon cheerfully _yapped_, while scampering over to his trainer. Ash leaned over, congratulating his starter with an affectionate scratch behind the ears. As Ash petted his friend he realized how exhausted he was. Growlithe's body was tense and he was breathing heavily. It was evident that the fire-type was going to have to get some good rest over the next couple days.

"You were great!" cheered Ash, as he continued to pet his fire-type. "All of the work we've put in definitely paid off today."

Growlithe happily licked Ash across the face, elated at the outcome of his very first gym battle.

Ash laughed in response to his starters' playful antics. "That tickles buddy!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Ash watched Surge return Raichu, before approaching him with a massive grin on his face. "That was a great battle Ash! Best _rookie_ match I've had all season!"

"Thanks Surge," replied Ash, while standing up straight. "It was a blast!"

"Hell friggin'yeah it was!" boomed Surge, while suddenly turning around to face the officiating zone. Jace was presently climbing down from the risen platform in attempt to meet them in the arena. "Jace, go get me a badge and a ticket!"

The ruffian almost fell from his climb, after being jostled by Surge's thunderous voice. When he reached the ground, he scurried off toward the front desk — which was where Surge apparently kept his winnings.

"So what's your plan, kid?" asked Surge. "What are you going to do after the _S.S. Ann_?"

"Well, I'm planning on heading to Saffron to take on Sabrina," replied Ash. "But to be honest, I'm not quite sure if I'm going to use the ticket. I don't know how I feel about wasting a week of travel."

"Screw that logic," huffed the lieutenant. "You should be thinking of the ship as a chance to enhance your skills. There will be all kinds of tough trainers. Not to mention the fact that there's that single elimination tournament. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity runt…I wouldn't pass on it."

Ash mulled it over. "Yeah, I guess…but what about travel time?"

"Kid, the tournament is not until May," replied Surge. "You've got eight months. A week of free food and some good training ain't gonna hurt you. Besides, Sabrina is a damn hellion. You could use some extra training before you face her."

"Good point," said Ash. "I think I'll give it a shot."

"Good decision!" boomed Surge, as Jace scurried over and handed Surge the requested items.

"Before I give these to you…" said Surge. "I've gotta a question."

"Yeah," mumbled Ash.

The lieutenant pointed at Ash's xtranceiver_. _"That thing's a phone, right?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah it's called an xtranceiver. It's a mobile video phone…my friend Bill gave it to me."

"Let me see it for a second," requested Surge, while he held his hand out in front of the dark-haired boy.

Ash shrugged, while unfastening the xtranceiver's strap. He handed it over to Surge, who instantly fired it up. The giant of a man used his long, bulky fingers to briefly fiddle around with the device. Once he was done, he nodded his head in satisfaction, before handing it back to Ash.

"What'd you do?" asked Ash, before looking at the screen with raised eyebrows.

"I put my number in there," retorted Surge. "I want a friggin' rematch at some point — full six-on-six. No restraints."

Ash smirked. "I can't say no to that...I've already got a rematch planned with Misty. I'll have to stop by sometime after I get all of my badges."

Surge laughed with a booming voice. "You're re-matching the shrimp, eh? That's a battle I'd like to see."

"The shrimp…?" asked Ash. "You know Misty?"

"Of course I know her…" replied Surge. "All of us gym leaders know each other. Besides, Misty's a friggin' beast. If it weren't for my type-advantage, I'd be a little more hesitant to battle her. Word is... she hasn't lost a match to a trainer with more than three badges all season."

Ash clenched his fists in excitement. "Now I definitely can't wait to battle her again!"

Surge smirked. "Don't forget about our battle kid."

Ash laughed. "I can be excited for more than one battle at a time."

"Truth," retorted Surge. "Us gym leader's don't usually have trainers come back once they've earned our badge. So it should be a blast! Make sure you get stronger kid. Raichu just qualified for my main team a few weeks ago. You've got a long way to go until you can actually compete with me."

"I'm up for the challenge," replied Ash.

Surge chuckled at Ash's confidence, before graciously handing over the badge and the ticket. The thunder badge was relatively small — identical in size to the cascade badge. The center was dark-orange and shaped like an octagon. Around the edges of the eight-sided polygon was a repeating pattern of bright-yellow triangles. The emblem created a vibrant image of a sun, symbolizing the primordial meaning behind the city…

The ticket was relatively bland. For the most part it was just a typical looking admissions voucher. The only thing that stood out was the bright-blue, holographic image of a boat to the right of the event name.

"Thanks," said Ash, as he stuffed the ticket in his pocket and removed his wooden badge case from his backpack.

The dark-haired boy undid the latch to his case, before placing the thunder badge in its designated, red-velvet slot adjacent to the cascade badge. Once the badge was secure, he put the case back into his backpack for safe-keeping.

"Alright Ketchum, I think it's time you get going," said Surge. "As fun as it's been, I've got some more trainers to battle. I've gotta hurry up and get Raichu and Voltorb restored."

"You've got enough time to run to the Pokemon Center and back?" asked Ash. "How do you manage that?"

"That's usually what I'd do…" Surge sighed, as he pointed at the bulky contraption set up directly behind the front desk. "But with all these trainers trying to get free tickets, I had to ask Nurse Joy to set me up with my own restoration machine. It doesn't give them a chance to fully recover, but it heals them enough to get them through the day. As soon as I get the chance I'm going to treat Voltorb and Raichu to a week of rest, they deserve it."

"Makes sense," replied Ash with a nod. "Before I go though, I've got a message for you…"

"What is it?" asked Surge with a raised eyebrow.

"Officer Jenny wanted me to tell you that she is doing well," said Ash. "She was pretty adamant about me letting you know."

"Jenny, eh?" questioned Surge, "there's a lot of them, can you be more specific."

"I forgot the name of the town she's stationed at…" said Ash. "But it's small. And she said that you guys were old drinking partners."

Surge's eyes lit up. "Oh, that Jenny! That's great news! I haven't seen her in years…as a matter of fact I really should give her a call sometime soon."

"How do you guys know each other?" asked Ash.

"It's a long story…" Surge sighed. "And I don't have enough time to tell it right now — maybe another time kid."

Ash nodded, before returning a tired Growlithe to his pokeball. "No worries...I understand. I really should get going anyway. My pokemon need to get looked at before I go to bed."

"See you around Ketchum," said Surge, as he shook Ash's hand. "Let me know when you're ready for that rematch."

"I'll make sure to give you a call," replied Ash. "Thanks for today's battle, it was awesome."

"No, thank you kid," confessed Surge. "It was a damn pleasure."

Ash flashed the giant man a big smile, before saying goodbye to him and Jace. As Ash walked out of the gym, he whispered a quiet thank you to Growlithe and Bulbasaur's pokeballs. They had battled even better than he had originally hoped.

XXX

Ash and Clefairy watched in awe, as the _S.S. Aqua_ disembarked from the Vermillion City Port. The ten-year old boy still had three and a half days until the departure of the _S.S. Anne_. He figured it would be a worthwhile occurrence to get an outsiders perspective, before his first-hand experience on Saturday.

"Pretty cool…don't you think?" questioned Ash, while they watched the colossal ship begin to drift away.

Clefairy nodded; she wasn't quite sure what the trip would entail. Nevertheless, as long as her trainer was excited, she would remain supportive.

"We've still got three days until we leave," said Ash. "There are a few things we need to get done."

Clefairy half-heartedly smiled, as she noticed a couple of gawking bystanders that passed by.

"Ignore them," said Ash. "People will always be looking at you. You're not exactly common…"

Clefairy frantically covered her sensitive ears, while the _S.S. Aqua_ briefly interrupted their conversation with its loud, alto-toned horn.

When the cacophony subsided, Ash continued. "You're a special pokemon Clefairy...and people know it."

Clefairy slightly blushed — her trainer's kind words were reassuring.

Once the _S.S. Aqua_ was out of sight, Ash glanced back down at Clefairy. "Let's go, we've got a lot to get done."

The fairy-type nodded, while realizing that she would follow her trainer to the stars and back if that was what it took to always stay by his side.

XXX

After taking a quick trip to the Pokemart to re-up on supplies, Ash walked the far-distance back to Vermillion City's southeastern boarder in order to finally take care of a long awaited matter of contention.

Just outside city-limits, the ten-year old boy discovered a decently vast clearing. He released Pidgeotto and Charmander, who were quickly filled in on the upcoming plan of action. The dark-haired boy had already explained his relatively simple plan to Clefairy, during their long walk toward the city's boarder. He would have released Growlithe and Bulbasaur if he could, but they both were still recovering from their battle with Surge. Ash didn't want to risk their health if Squirtle decided to run amuck. He wanted to be able to use Growlithe and Bulbasaur confidently for the _S.S. Anne_ tournament, and if their injuries were to become more serious it could delay the healing process. Ash cursed under his breath, this was one of those times where he really needed Growlithe by his side.

Ash handled Squirtle's pokeball anxiously, as he rambled off a few quick reminders…

"Clefairy…if things somehow escalate use _sing_ to put him to sleep," said Ash. "Don't jump the gun. Only use it if it's absolutely necessary."

Clefairy decisively nodded, signifying that Ash's orders were clear.

"Charmander...your typing is at a disadvantage," said Ash. "I really just need you to provide intimidation. You can use growl if you want, it's your call."

The fire-type grunted affirmatively, snorting a burst of fire in the process.

Ash laughed, before addressing his excited Pidgeotto. "Pidgeotto this is not a battle…I repeat this is not a battle. Please don't attack unless I say so. I know you've been itching for a new sparring partner, but this is not the right time."

The colossal flying-type disappointedly huffed, as he nodded his head hesitantly in agreement.

"Alright…let's do this," muttered Ash. "Remember, he's a teammate — no matter how he reacts."

His pokemon collectively grunted, while waiting anxiously for the upcoming affair.

Ash gently lofted Squirtle's pokeball up into the air, while his friends dutifully encompassed the release. When the bright array of light faded, a stone-faced turtle was revealed. He sat on the ground placidly, not making any sudden movements. The turtle pokemon was fully aware of his current predicament.

…He knew he had been captured.

Ash took a few steps forward, garnering Squirtle's undivided attention. The dark-haired boy sat down Indian-style, meeting Squirtle's cold, knife-like eyes with his own.

"Do you know what's going on?"

Squirtle replied with a lucid grunt.

"You've been captured," replied Ash. "You're no longer part of the _Squirtle Squad." _

The turtle-pokemon quickly flashed a brief display of malice, before abruptly suppressing it in response to Pidgeotto's nefarious squawk.

Ash buried his nerves, as he continued. "The League will take good care of your gang..."

Squirtle took a big breath in attempt to remain emotionless.

"Officer Jenny told me your story," said Ash. "I know you've been through hell."

Squirtle showed a sliver of uneasiness, while listening to Ash's words. This trainer knew about his past...yet he still wanted him, why?

"My names Ash," said the boy, while pointing to himself. "I'm a pokemon trainer. I'd like to make this process as smooth as possible. I don't care how long it takes, but understand that eventually you're going to have to listen to me. The sooner you submit — the faster we can begin to train. I just want to make one thing clear...I will never release you — whether you want me to, or not. I always finish what I've started, and from the moment I caught you I made the commitment to raise you into one of the strongest pokemon in the world."

Squirtle raised the reptilian skin above his left eye, clearly intrigued by Ash's words. The boy's dogma was definitely in the right place, but _humans_ — _humans_ were liars.

As if Ash was synchronized with Squirtle's mind, he answered. "I know you probably don't trust me because I'm human, but I can assure you that I am different...I think that what your old trainer did was despicable. No matter how bad his injuries were. You were his family…and he betrayed you."

Squirtle showed a hint of emotion, as he expressed a barely noticeable frown.

"What do you guys think?" asked Ash aloud, desiring the support of his friends.

All three of his pokemon nodded their heads in agreement. Charmander even stepped forward, while speaking out in his native tongue. Ash wasn't exactly sure what he was saying. However, judging by Squirtle's surprised expression, he thought it might have something to do with the fire-types' similar past...

Squirtle processed what the charmander had said. According to the lizard pokemon, the human named Ash had saved the fire-type's life. Charmander had been abandoned, just like him. The lizard's wounds were physical, while his were emotional. Squirtle thought back to the good times he had shared with his old trainer, and wondered if it was really possible to have something like that again.

Ash interjected. "If you don't open up your heart things will never get better. You'll just remain stuck, all by yourself, in this icy realm that you've created. Give me a chance…I promise I will not disappoint."

Squirtle was internally conflicted; he feared opening up his heart, yet the boy's words sounded genuine. The turtle-pokemon had lived the last couple years of his life in an icy haze. Could this boy really be the one to help him _feel_ again?

"My pokemon and I are a family," said Ash. "It's your decision what kind of role you want to take on. You can be obedient from the beginning…or rebellious. Regardless, you are part of my family now. I want to make that clear."

The turtle-pokemon suddenly felt something he hadn't felt in a long time…_warmth._ It started in his chest, before gradually spreading out throughout the rest of his body.

Ash witnessed a distinct change in Squirtle's eyes. They turned from a cold, hellish stare to a warmer, more hopeful gaze. For the first time the boy could tell that he was getting through.

"My training won't be easy," said Ash. "But I will do whatever it takes to bring out your fullest potential. Judging by your build, I would assume that you're close to evolving. I will help you become the strongest _blastoise_ on the planet."

Squirtle didn't know what it was, but the boy's words transcended truth. It was as if the boy was speaking **divinity**_. _

"So what will it be Squirtle…do you choose to obey?

The turtle-pokemon mulled it over one last time…before coming to a final decision. He'd give this _Ash _what he was looking for. He'd follow the _person _that this boy pledged to be. However, if the boy failed to live up to his own, self-proclaimed expectations, he wouldn't hesitate to revolt.

Squirtle nodded, pledging his fealty to Ash.

The dark-haired boy gave Squirtle a toothy grin, while patting his new friend on the head. "Fantastic! I promise that you've made the right decision!"

Squirtle responded blankly, not quite sure how to react to the abbreviate affection.

Ash stood up from his spot, before wiping the dirt from his pant legs. "Now that the hard parts over, I'd like to properly introduce you to part of the team."

Ash looked Squirtle in the eyes, before gesturing over to Clefairy. "This is Clefairy. She's the only female on the team. She's been with me for a while now…so if you have any questions she would be a good one to ask."

Clefairy waved her hand in the air, officially greeting the turtle-pokemon.

Squirtle simply nodded, acknowledging the esoteric creature's existence.

"This is Charmander," continued Ash, while pointing at the lizard pokemon. "He joined the team right before I caught you. You've already heard his story..."

Charmander responded by puffing up his chest and flexing his stubby biceps.

"He's also pretty funny," inserted Ash with an abbreviate chuckle.

Squirtle smiled with his eyes, amused by the lizard pokemon's antics.

Ash moved on, smirking as he introduced his giant avian. "And this is Pidgeotto…you two have met under some less than friendly circumstances."

Pidgeotto leaned over like a succubus, trying to get a rise out of Squirtle.

Squirtle shot Pidgeotto a glare of his own, not backing down a single inch.

"Pidgeotto knock it off!" howled Ash, as he instantaneously tried to diffuse the situation. The flying-type malignantly chortled, while diverting his gaze from the turtle-pokemon.

Ash walked Squirtle a few feet away from Pidgeotto, before glancing down at the most recent addition to his team. "There are also two others — Growlithe and Bulbasaur. They faced the Vermillion City gym leader yesterday, so they're still recovering."

…Squirtle's eyes lit up. Something about what Ash had just said piqued his interest.

"What is it?" asked Ash. "Is something wrong…?"

Squirtle shook his head, minimizing the significance of the ordeal. The truth is; he was thrilled by the prospect of challenging the Kanto gym circuit. Competing in a gym battle was a dream he'd thought he had given up a long time ago.

Ash ignored the obvious shift in countenance. If Squirtle found it necessary to conceal his heart on the occasion it wasn't a big deal. He was just happy that Squirtle had agreed to obey…

XXX

"Try and make them bigger!"

Pidgeotto quavered both wings, distributing another installment of draconic energy into his _twin tempests. _The increase in the draconic element drew upon an excess of wind, thus enhancing the binary-twister's overall scope.

"Now create the wall!" howled Ash. "Compartmentalize!"

The barbaric avian inhaled a big breath with his nostrils, before exhaling a steady stream of high velocity air. It flowed in between the tempests, disrupting the natural pull of the two matching powers.

"Good! Good! Good!" exclaimed Ash excitedly. "Now stabilize!"

Pidgeotto ceased the increase in draconic energy and allowed the duel-twisters to briefly settle. Once they were secure, he let down the wall. The two menacing cyclones grated against the atmosphere, creating a loud menacing hiss. The flying-type balanced them amidst his wings, while waiting for an order.

"Throw them!"

...Pidgeotto violently propelled the large geminate tornados

They moved across the ground like a couple of wild tauros, vacuuming numerous stray objects in the process. The surrounding trees rustled and pulled, being stretched by the attacks overwhelming suction. The clearing's dirt was sporadically assimilated, changing the techniques tint from vibrant lavender, to a more ominous dark-purple.

Pidgeotto's custom technique smashed into the targeted boulder, triggering a massive explosion. As the twisters dissipated, the debris was impelled in every which direction. Ash covered his eyes in response to the dwindling fog of dirt caused by the detonation.

After noticing his trainers' uncomfortable expression, the flying-type used a quick gust in order to clear the filthy air. When the dust settled, Pidgeotto squawked in satisfaction. _Twin tempest _had been tamed.

"That was awesome!" roared Ash, while jumping up and down gleefully. "Great job, Pidgeotto!"

The barbarous bird chortled sadistically, truly excited for the amount of destruction he would be able to cause with his new attack.

"We're definitely using that in the S.S. Anne tournament," said Ash. "What do you say?"

Pidgeotto crooned, delighted by the idea.

"Great," said Ash. "Now take a rest…were done for the day."

XXX

Clefairy darted dauntlessly across the clearing, as Charmander fired a barrage of ember. She effortlessly _minimized_, dodging the fire-balls in quick succession. The fairy-type used traditional means when necessary. But the majority of her evasions consisted of manipulating herself into a minuscule target.

Ash grinned, extremely pleased by the outcome of the past couple weeks of training. "Charmander, turn it up! More fire!"

His fire-type expedited more of his inner-flame, doubling the velocity and expansiveness of his attack.

Clefairy continued to skillfully dodge, using the thaumaturgic energy in her body to shrink and expand. She bit by bit closed the proximity between Charmander and herself, preparing to position herself for a pound attack.

The lizard pokemon ceased the barrage, loading a quick-fire _focus_ _punch. _Moments before Charmander was able to use the technique, Clefairy landed her hardened fist into his gut. The fairy-type's pound caused a significant amount of pain. Ash watched at the moment of impact, while Charmander's eyes bulged and his expression contorted.

The fire-type was launched across the glade, rapidly rolling across the dirt like a tumbleweed. Once the fire-type had slowed down enough to conquer his momentum, he used his short arms to spring himself back to his feet. The lizard gathered himself, before sprinting towards Clefairy while loading another _focus punch. _He used a well-timed ember to keep Clefairy at bay, as he completed the charge.

Clefairy shrunk to about a fourth of her normal size, as a frustrated Charmander whiffed overhead. She then proceeded to quickly expand, flattening her palm for a vicious double-slap. The lizard pokemon responded quickly, using his non-dominant arm to block his teammates strike. He sequentially used his other claw to lash out with scratch, catching Clefairy across the chest.

The fairy-type quickly minimized, before breaking free of the close-combat exchange. She was just about to emit a _disarming-voice_ when…

"That's enough!" bellowed Ash. "It's just a spar. I need you to stay healthy before the _S.S. Anne."_

Both pokemon dropped their stances disappointedly, before cantering over to their beckoning trainer.

"You guys did great," said Ash. "Clefairy, I think we can probably start learning a new technique. It looks to me like you've finally mastered minimize."

Clefairy nodded; she had to admit, the technique was becoming rather natural.

"I did some research on the pokedex," muttered Ash. "I think we'll learn _stored power_ next."

Clefairy grunted in agreement. Stored power was a technique that she recognized. A lot of the clefairy and clefable back at Mt. Moon were masters of it. Essentially it was a great counter move against pokemon that liked to increase their power with status techniques. It essentially copied the opponent's enhancement, but focused the absorbed energy into a concentrated blast. It would be a worthwhile technique to conquer.

"Glad you approve," said Ash with a smile, before diverting his attention to a solemn Charmander. "You've lessened the charge time by a ton. Don't be so down on yourself."

Charmander lifted his head, as he listened to his trainer's encouraging words. "Focus punch isn't an easy technique. It's going to take a while to fully master. Just be patient...we'll get there."

Charmander squealed elatedly in response to Ash's kind words. He subsequently clutched the boy's leg affectionately, doing whatever he could to portray his admiration.

"Thanks buddy," said Ash, as he pat his fire-lizard on the top of the head. "But be careful of your tail-flame…it's awfully close to my pants."

Charmander frenziedly backed away, after realizing that his tail was a mere centimeter away from Ash's clothes. The fire-lizard sheepishly scratched the back of his head, while diffusing an awkward chuckle.

Ash burst into laughter. Life with his pokemon never ceased to be entertaining

XXX

After checking Squirtle's move-set with his pokedex and identifying his ability, Ash needed to do a detailed evaluation pertaining the turtle pokemon's current techniques. Even though he had acquired a decent feel for his water-type's long-range style of combat during their battle at the banquet, he wanted to witness Squirtle's techniques from a more personal perspective.

Squirtle also seemed to be in a fairly good mood. After explaining to the turtle-pokemon that they were going on a cruise around the region, he instantly perked up — which in Squirtle's case meant that he looked a tad less cold-blooded. Ash had a feeling Squirtle didn't quite understand the concept of a cruise ship. The turtle pokemon had heard the word ocean and that was all she wrote.

"Alright, so _tackle_ and _tail whip_ are _pretty _much inherent…so you don't have to show me those," said Ash. "But I'd like to see your _water gun, withdraw, bubble, _and _bite."_

Squirtle grunted affirmatively in his low, alto-toned voice, before stepping out in front of Ash.

_"Water gun _first," commanded Ash, while pointing at one of the many scattered trees in the distance. "First we'll check velocity…shoot as hard as you can at that oval tree_."_

With a blank face, Squirtle concocted a powerful water gun in his gullet. It sat idly for a split-second, before being fired at a frightening rate. It hit the tree's center at an incomprehensible speed, causing the thick trunk to tremor and the leaves to fall to the ground.

"Damn…" muttered Ash. "So your velocity is obviously just fine...next we'll check your accuracy."

Ash cantered ahead, gathering a few loose pine cones along the way. The dark haired-boy subsequently placed them on a wide, stout tree stump. The surface was uneven; whoever had chopped it down had done a shoddy job of staying straight.

The tree stump was situated about a hundred feet away from where Squirtle stood. Once Ash returned to the water-type's side, he explained the objective…

"I want you to shoot down those pine cones as fast as possible without missing," commanded Ash. "They're pretty far so—."

Ash was interrupted by Squirtle's rapid fire. The turtle pokemon stood emotionless, after shooting the three pine cones down expertly within a matter of seconds.

"Okay…" babbled Ash, slack-jawed. "So accuracy is through the roof—hold on, let me try something!"

The dark-haired boy ran out into the clearing, picking up as many pine cones as possible. "I'm going to throw these high and fast…shoot them all before they hit the ground."

Ash proceeded to throw them up into the air as fast as he could, trying to challenge Squirtle's long-range expertise. He had no such luck. Squirtle shot them all down with ease, proving to be as equally adroit with moving targets, as he was with stationary targets.

"Pretty damn impressive," retorted Ash. "Your _water gun _is impeccable."

Squirtle quietly nodded — he had spent countless hours honing the technique.

_Water gun — check._

"Alright time to show me your' _withdraw_," said Ash. "This shouldn't take too long...just let me see how fast you can conceal and reveal. This technique is all about speed. A squirtle's shell is always durable, unless there is some kind of birth defect."

By the time Ash had finished his next blink, Squirtle had palpitated in and out of his shell. The turtle-pokemon revealed a feeble smirk, as he watched Ash's jaw drop for a second time.

_Withdraw — check._

"Okay…how about _bubble?" _requested Ash. "You used it against Pidgeotto, but I'd like to see just how much range it actually has."

Squirtle responded quickly, sucking in a massive breath. His cheeks condensed, as he passed the air through his internal hose and into his everlasting container. He secreted his gastric acid consciously from his stomach into his container, temporarily carbonating a portion of his internal reservoir.

Ash watched, as Squirtle dispersed a voluminous array of chemically induced bubbles. They floated through the air at an impressive velocity, proving their wielder's competence. Not a single bubble popped incidentally. Every single one lasted until contact — which resulted in a discordant paroxysm.

"Well done," praised Ash. "_Bubble_ is just as impressive as the others."

Squirtle gave Ash a curt nod, signifying that he was ready to move on.

_Bubble — check._

"Gotcha," said Ash, as he wiped the sweat from his forehead, before leading Squirtle over to a thick, ring-cupped oak tree. "Last but not least...I want to check out your _bite_. Now this is a pretty sturdy tree, so feel it out before you commit."

Squirtle obediently set his jaw around a fragment of the tree. He did as the boy asked — feeling it out cautiously before entrusting the strength of his jaw. Once he calculated its density, the turtle pokemon came to a decision. He opened his mouth as wide as possible, before closing it with tremendous force. He bit straight through the tree's trunk, unintentionally smacking his teeth together jarringly, as a result of exceeding the required amount of effort.

_Bite — check._

Ash chuckled aloud. "It seems you pass. All of your current techniques are _perfect."_

Squirtle stared ahead expressionlessly, not knowing how to react to Ash's praise.

Ash scratched the back of Squirtle's head affectionately, purposely ignoring his confused quaver. "Good job. Now that I know exactly where you are at, we can start learning a new technique."

Squirtle looked up at Ash; his countenance expressed nothing, however his eyes showed interest.

"Next we'll begin to learn _rapid spin," _explained Ash. "You could use another physical attack to compliment your long-range expertise."

Squirtle emitted a low grunt.

...So far so good — his new trainer had yet to disappoint.

XXX

"_Ring…"_

"_Ring..."_

"_Ring..."_

"_Click."_

"Hi honey!" exclaimed his mother, as she elatedly picked up the phone. "How are you doing? Have you reached Vermillion City yet?"

Ash smiled, as he soaked in the sound of his mother's voice. "I've been in Vermillion since Tuesday. I already got the Thunder Badge!"

"Well isn't that exciting," acknowledged his mother. "I hear Lt. Surge is quite the gym leader. It must have been a tough battle."

"It was," said Ash. "He even asked for a rematch…I'm gonna get to battle him at full-strength once I earn all of my badges."

"That's great," replied Delia. "I can't wait to hear all about it! Now tell me, how do you like Vermillion City? Gosh...I haven't been there in years."

Ash turned up the volume on his xtranceiver, as he answered. "I like it...It's a really busy city, so it's kind of been crazy. But I got to watch the _S.S. Aqua_ depart the other day, so that was pretty cool."

"The _S.S. Aqua's_ the one that goes to Olivine City, right?" asked his mother. "I always get it confused with the one that they're having that big event for."

"Yeah, the _S.S. Aqua_ travels to and from Johto," replied Ash. "But the _S.S. Anne_ is actually one of the reasons that I needed to call you."

"What about it?"

Ash continued. "Surge was giving out tickets to anyone that defeated him. So when I beat him, I won a ticket to board during the _fiftieth anniversary event. _I leave tomorrow morning."

"Well isn't that a treat!" exclaimed his mother. "How long is it?"

"A week," answered Ash. "All expenses are paid for; it's basically a free vacation."

"Oh honey I'm happy for you, it sounds like you'll have a blast!" elated Delia. "Just make sure you don't forget to change your underwear amidst all of the festivities."

Ash blushed, garnering the attention of Growlithe and Clefairy — Growlithe had finally fully-recovered, so Ash was happy to have him lounging about outside of his pokeball.

The ten-year old boy sat down on the edge of the lodges' bed, as he disconcertedly replied. "I won't mom…."

Ash could hear Clefairy snicker from behind him. Growlithe didn't make a peep. The puppy pokemon had already met Mrs. Ketchum…he didn't want to run the risk of her over hearing him.

Ash ignored his giggling fairy-type, as he prepared to wrap up the short conversation. "Well anyway…I should probably get going Mom. I leave first thing in the morning and need to get some good rest."

"Absolutely honey," said Delia. "Get a good night sleep. I love you."

"I love you too Mom," replied Ash. "I'll give you a call sometime soon."

"I look forward to it. Bye Ashy, have fun!"

"Bye Mom."

"_Click."_

Ash released a giant sigh, as he promptly fell backward on the comfortable bed. "I miss her…"

Feeling the need to provide comfort, Growlithe and Clefairy cuddled up next to him. The dark-haired boy smiled at his friend's thoughtfulness. He couldn't ask for better friends, he mused to himself…as he internally reflected.

Ash laid there for a while, simply meditating over his adventures. When he felt like he was close to nodding off, he returned Clefairy — who preferred to sleep in her pokeball. In subsequence he hit the light, causing the scope of the room to dwindle out of sight. He burrowed underneath the covers with Growlithe snuggled up right by his side. Tomorrow he would disembark on the _S.S. Anne_, until then…he was signing off.

XXX

After waiting through the obnoxiously long line and passing through the many security checkpoints, Ash found himself at the base of a long, slanted boarding ramp.

He spotted a decent enough gap in the large mass of people to get a visual of the ship's hull. It was colossal — probably close to a thousand feet in length and a hundred feet in breadth. Ash obviously wasn't able to see the base of the keel_, _but he would guess that the ship was probably close to a hundred-and-fifty feet tall. The _S.S. Anne_ definitely lived up to its billing as one of the greatest man-made wonders of the world. Its size was almost as impressive as its elegance. The hull's pearl-white exterior glistened beautifully, as the light from the sun shined across its surface. Its two golden chimneys reached towards the sky with authority, complimenting the pearl-white exterior's exquisiteness.

Ash had to wait another half-hour to get through the line on the ramp, before he stood face to face with a muscular, well-groomed sailor. The sailor sat behind a temporary booth, barely inside the confines of the ship. Situated to the left of the booth was a tall wooden cubby, filled to the brim with room-keys.

"Ticket please," said the sailor, as he held out his hand expectantly.

The ten-year old boy handed over his crumpled ticket — which he had desperately tried to smooth out while he was waiting in line. The fresh faced man didn't have any kind of reaction. Ash assumed that the thousands of people passing through the embarkation process had the man operating on auto-pilot.

"Your room number is E37," informed the sailor, while handing over the rooms' corresponding key.

The sailor subsequently allowed Ash to walk through the entry passage, and into the luxury liner's expansive main lobby. Before observing his surroundings, he immediately released Growlithe. Because of security reasons, his starter had been forced to his pokeball throughout the entirety of the boarding process. Apparently, a lot of pokemon's unique physiologies messed with a lot of the security equipment. Ash figured that those issues primarily pertained to _steel _and _electric _types; however, he didn't find it worth it to complain.

Although the luxurious, multi-storied corridor was brimming with people, Growlithe seemed to be doing okay. Ever since his ample dose of exposure therapy back when they arrived in Vermillion City, the pup appeared to be responding better to large crowds.

While following the signs to the E-wing's lodging zone, the boy observed some of the different activities going on aboard the ship. There were: games, shows, restaurants, buffets, clubs, battles, raffles, etc. The ship hadn't even left port yet and the place was already booming.

The E-wing's lodging area consisted of several floors. The boy had to take the wing's smooth ascending elevator in order to reach the third floor — which was where his room resided.

After exiting the elevator and following a few more signs, Ash found his assigned room. The inside was small, yet extravagant. Despite his status as a gym leader, Surge must have been allotted some of the more affordable rooms. The League needed to make some money off of the event. They couldn't afford to give free admittance to the pricier deluxe rooms that the S.S. Anne was well known for.

The room was decorated with all kinds of fancy adornment. Its' walls were painted a classy beige. The bed appeared to be king-sized, and there was an expensive looking flat-screen TV stationed in an armoire across from it. The cabin had its own bathroom — which was expectant on a luxury cruise liner. Honestly, the only fallacy Ash could come up with was that his room didn't have a window. But then again he didn't pay for the tickets…so how upset could he really get.

"What do you think, Growlithe?" asked Ash. "This definitely isn't something that we're used to…but I still think it's a rather nice change of pace."

The puppy pokemon _yipped, _affably conveying his approval.

"My thoughts exactly," replied Ash, making up his own dialogue for Growlithe in his head.

After dropping off some of his more replaceable items, such as potions and empty pokeballs, Ash headed out to explore. He thought about leaving his backpack all together, but he was too paranoid about someone stealing his precious moonstone fragment.

Once he finally made his way back to the lobby, Ash asked around in search for some kind of registration booth. He wanted to register for the single-elimination tournament as soon as possible. The ten-year old boy had no idea if there was some kind of deadline, and he'd rather not have to worry about taking care of it later.

…Ash wasn't very good at procrastinating.

After finding his way to the registration booth — which was located in the B wing, alongside the entrance to the battle facility — Ash waited in the abbreviate line to register. Moments later, he was elated to find out that he had barely beaten the wave of restless competitors. It didn't take long for the line behind him to rapidly grow to about the length of a gyarados.

Once he reached the front of the line, the boy stood opposite of one of the S.S. Anne's staff members. He wore a crisp, navy-blue suit over a formal white dress-shirt. His red and blue diagonally striped tie was neatly fastened around his neck. The man's dainty smile was so obnoxious it almost seemed faked. His name badge read: _Reid — _Reid's eyes were in conflict with his countenance. Something was off about him...

"Hand me your pokedex' young man," said the creepy staff member, as he unnaturally held his smile throughout the duration of his request. "It's a necessity."

"Okay…" said Ash, while reaching into his back pocket. "What do you need it for?"

"Authenticity of course," replied Reid, as he reached out and snatched the red-device curtly from Ash's hand. "We must make sure you are who you say you are."

"I guess that makes sense…" said Ash, slightly suspicious.

"Ash Ketchum, eh?" questioned the man peculiarly, as he scrolled through Ash's pokedex'. "Ah…it says here you have a Bulbasaur — very nice...and a Clefairy, _mhmm_ even better."

Ash tried to ignore the man's bizarre behavior. He watched, while _Reid _typed something short into the keyboard connected to his computer, before handing back Ash's pokedex.

"You're all set Mr. Ketchum," smiled Reid. "The tournaments in three days; report to the battle facility's main arena by 11 a.m. sharp on Tuesday. Enjoy your stay aboard the _S.S. Anne_."

"Thanks," said Ash, before putting as much distance between himself and the odd man as possible.

XXX

Ash grabbed hold of the steel railing that encompassed the deck, while he watched Vermillion City slowly taper out of sight.

"It's definitely better firsthand, eh?" thought Ash aloud, as Clefairy and Growlithe stood awe-inspired by his side.

Ash was surprised when he got a verbal response from an elegant, cultured human inflection — accompanied by Clefairy and Growlithe's grunts of avouchment.

"It sure is," drawled the elegant-toned man, as he approached Ash from behind. "It always saddens me to see that such a small minority of the ship's guests are willing to stop what they are doing...to watch something magnificent such as this_."_

"Everybody's different I guess," said Ash, as he turned around to face a tall extravagantly dressed man.

The wealthy-looking man had a benign smile on his finely-featured face, as he leant up against the railing next to Ash. His long, stylish, turquoise colored hair flowed gently with the wind, while he looked at Ash with his matching colored irises. "Very true, everybody certainly is different...I suppose I'm just disappointed because the ocean is my passion."

Ash nodded, before raising a question. "Do you wish people cherished it the same way you do?"

The man chuckled, as he adjusted his mallow-purple tie. "I'm a dreamer, not a fool. I know only a select few will see the ocean for what it truly is. I just wish more people could at least show a sliver of appreciation."

"I understand," said Ash. "I feel the same way about pokemon."

"It shows," crooned the well-dressed man. "Your pokemon seem happy. Besides, not many people are given the privilege of training a Clefairy."

Ash glanced down at both of his friends with knowing eyes. "Thank you, that's a high complement."

"It's just the truth," stated the comely man, as he straightened the coat of his white suit. "Well, I better get going. I have some matters to attend to."

"Nice to meet you," said Ash politely, while reaching out to shake the man's hand.

"I don't believe I caught your name," inserted the well-cultivated man, as he shook Ash's hand firmly.

"Ash Ketchum," answered Ash. "And you are?"

"_Wallace_."

"Wallace, eh?" Ash thought aloud, before properly responding. "Well I'm sure we'll run into each again at some point."

"I'm sure we will," replied Wallace with a smile. "See you later, Ash."

XXX

After three days of: comfortable sleep, fine dining, tough training, and winless raffle tickets; Ash waited with hundreds of other trainers in the bleachers of the _S.S. Anne's_ main arena.

The state of the art battlefield was extremely impressive. If it weren't for the occasional tremor, caused by the unpredictable sea, there would be no way to tell that they were on a boat. The battlefield itself was built out of coarse stone — which was a rather neutral element. It was officially marked with a glossy white paint. Ash's estimation was that the encompassing bleachers could probably seat about a thousand people.

The surrounding chatter was abruptly interrupted by an amplified female voice. Her intonation was smooth and sultry, somewhat contradictory of a typical emcee. "Hello competitors. My name's Ariana and I'll be your emcee for the single-elimination tournament. The _S.S. Anne_ is hosting this event in commemoration of the vessel's fifty straight years of active duty."

Ash examined the source behind the voice. She stood loosely in the center of the arena — her semblance was utterly beautiful. The emcee's body was shaped like an hourglass, and her perfect curves resembled those of a goddess. Ariana's facial features were fine and unlined; her makeup was done up flawlessly — not too little, not too much. It was like a work of art, painted by a master class artisan. The goddesses' hair was a burnished carmine-red —analogous to her voluptuous eyes. She wore a formal black blazer, accompanied by a pair of polyester dress-pants and dark-red, pointed high-heels.

"Due to the large number of entries, we shall hold five preliminary rounds located throughout the battle facility. If you manage to battle your way out of the preliminaries into _our _version of the top sixteen, you will earn the right to battle in our official arena…in front of an audience."

Ash nodded his head attentively, listening carefully to the enticing woman's words.

"Each preliminary battle is one-on-one and there is no rules pertained to the usage of pokemon. You may use five different pokemon for each battle, or a single pokemon for the entirety of the preliminaries. The choice is yours. There will be a nurse stationed outside of each arena with a restoration machine, and a surplus of League mandated full-restores. Feel free to use both if necessary, they are completely complimentary!"

After the news concerning the full-restores had been revealed, Ash glanced around to observe the museum of astonished faces. Full-restores were a highly concentrated potion that had the ability to heal nearly any physical injury — including impairments of the bone. The dark-haired boy wasn't quite sure about its contents, but he was aware of its excessively steep cost. The League typically only issued a limited supply of the miracle concoction to its Pokemon Centers, because of its uneconomic developmental cost.

"Those of you who manage to make it out of the preliminaries, will be required to report back to the main stadium at 5 o'clock tonight," informed Ariana. "The top sixteen will then battle for a chance to be crowned the tournament's champion. There will be a prize for all of you that make it to the top sixteen — each prize varies in value. The better you place, the better the prize."

Ash smirked; this tournament was starting to sound even better than he'd anticipated.

"The battle times and match-ups have been posted in the B Wing's lobby," orated Ariana, as she nonchalantly checked the expensive looking watch fastened around her delicate wrist. "You better get moving…the first wave of battles begins in fifteen minutes."

The crowd erupted out of their seats, flooding out of the stadium in a boisterous frenzy. Amidst the ruckus was Ash, who rudely pushed his way through the conflux of trainers like a hungry _houndour_.

In the background, Ash could hear the echoing voice belonging to Ariana, as she graced the crowd with one last assemblage of words. "_Good luck..."_

XXX

Fifteen minutes later; Ash stood opposite of a short, snub-nosed, tubby kid with an anxious disposition. He looked about the same age as Ash, and wore an arrangement of fine linens. He handled his pokeball nervously...Ash assumed he didn't have much battle experience.

The mock arena they occupied was official size, but enclosed. The only person that accompanied them was a tall, dark-skinned man that served as the referee for the match. He raised his hand in the air, before harnessing the power of his booming voice.

"This is a one-on-one battle between Ash Ketchum of pallet town, and Duke Martin of Celadon City! The battle will be decided once a pokemon has been rendered unconscious! Trainers prepare for battle!"

Ash unclipped one of the pokeballs suspended from his belt, as he zeroed in on his opponent. He watched Duke Martin fumble his pokeball with his pudgy hands, before finally gaining decent control over his body.

"Begin!"

The opposing pokeballs wafted through the air, before snapping open to emit a flurry of bright light. Once the display of radiance dissipated , Charmander and a dinky _paras _were unveiled.

Charmander disembogued an abbreviate burst of fire from his nostrils, before raising his claws for battle.

Paras chattered its six sharp teeth, and examined Charmander with its two large pupils, while its frail extremities nervously quavered. Its' foremost pair of legs — which were larger, and served as its frontal claws — were anchored heavily on the ground. They worked to maintain balance, while Paras' posterior legs continued to tremble.

Ash felt slightly sorry for the nervous duo. It didn't take an expert to make a prediction on how this battle would go.

"Make quick work of it, Charmander."

Charmander instantaneously unhinged his jaw, before belching out a thick curtain of smoke. It spread throughout the arena, making it nearly impossible to see what was taking place. All of a sudden, Ash could abruptly make out a quick outbreak of light within the smoke-screen. It punctured the darkness for a split-second, while concurrently triggering a high-pitched shrill.

Ash winced, as he registered the ear-shattering shriek. He felt a slight twinge of guilt, knowing that the battle had ended as quickly as it had begun. The dark-haired boy disliked blowouts, almost as much as he hated losing. However, it was part of the enterprise — and he'd rather win handily, than risk an upset.

Minutes later, when the smoke finally cleared, Charmander stood unscratched by Ash's side. Lying scorched and unconscious in the center of the arena was Paras, whose _tochukaso _mushrooms had been burned off of its back. Ash squinched his face — it was a tough sight to look at. Regardless, they would grow back quickly. Paras were well known for the brisk reproduction of their potent medicinal mushrooms.

"Paras is unable to battle, Charmander is the winner! Victory goes to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!" exclaimed the official.

As Ash examined Paras' charred body, he watched as the insectoid pokemon was suddenly enshrouded by a coverlet of scarlet-red light. The pudgy boy returned his bug-type with a disappointed hunch, before hastily plodding his way out of the mock arena. Ash tried to catch his attention in order to thank him for a good match, but the boy was too preoccupied by his Paras' pokeball to notice. Ash expressed a faint smile — the beginner trainer definitely cared for his young Paras…

Ash gratefully thanked Charmander, before returning the dissatisfied lizard-pokemon to his pokeball. It was obvious that the fire-type was expecting a better battle…

The ten-year old boy subsequently headed back to the B Wing's busy lobby. He spent nearly a half an hour scrolling through his pokedex' in attempt to kill the tedious time in between matches...

...His next couple of battles unfolded similarly to the first.

In his second preliminary match, he went up against a girl named Sydney from Fuchsia City. She summoned an average-sized oddish with an immature shrub atop its head. Clefairy easily knocked the grass-type out with a single combination of sing and wake-up slap. Just like Charmander, Clefairy was rather disappointed by her opponent's skill level.

The third opponent Ash faced off against was a curly haired man named Jake. Ash was expecting a better match on account of the severe age gap between himself, and the middle-aged gentlemen. However, the battle was once again a breeze. Bulbasaur pulverized Jake's average raticate with an onslaught of _vine-whips, _followed by a vicious takedown.

Bulbasaur's power had nearly doubled since his battle against Surge. Judging by the darkening of Bulbasaur's pigmentation, and the growth of his bulb; it was obvious that the saurian was nearing evolution…

In succession to his initial three effortless wins, Ash stood opposite of his next opponent. His adversary was a teenager with a nasty temperament. He was tall and angular — his long, greasy, black hair covered a portion of his furrowed face.

The referee assigned to oversee their battle was a stout, muscular, middle aged man. He followed typical protocol, raising his hand in preparation to initiate the battle. "This is a one-on-one battle between John Thompson of Viridian City, and Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town! Last trainer with a pokemon standing is the winner! Trainers prepare for battle!"

Both trainers handled their pokeballs indelicately — in anticipation for the battle. The greasy haired teen menacingly glared at Ash, as the referee signaled the beginning of the match. "Begin!"

...Both trainers unleashed their pokemon.

The teenager released a brawny machop. It pounded on its chest with pride, signifying its eagerness to compete. The short, gray-skinned, humanoid pokemon flexed its vascular muscles arrogantly, while it stared down its adversary.

Squirtle stared straight ahead with an icy countenance, as he calculated his opponent's existence. Machop were well known for their overwhelming strength. Even though they weren't nearly as formidable as their evolved forms, they still possessed an ample amount of power. If Squirtle wanted to win this battle he would have to keep Machop at an arms-length.

…Good thing long-distance battle was his strong suit.

"Focus energy!" bellowed the furrowed faced teen, as he dramatically pointed forward. "Then go get it with a karate chop!"

The machop's red eyes intensified, while it clenched both of its fists in a crouch. Its muscles pulsated and its body perspired, as it prepared its mind for battle.

"Shatter its concentration!" howled Ash. "Quick-fire _water gun!"_

Squirtle loaded a _water gun _into his gullet, as he analyzed machop's options for escape. He prepared his internal water supply to be drawn upon, readying himself to reload.

Chaos unfolded concurrently, as Squirtle unleashed a barrage of highly concentrated water guns. They sprayed throughout the air like a pivoting turret, whistling throughout the process. Machop darted back and forth throughout the arena, closing the proximity between himself and the turtle pokemon. It grunted painfully, as a couple of _water guns_ connected with its shoulder and oblique. Unfortunately for Ash, the impacts weren't powerful enough to stop machop in its' tracks.

Machop impressively maneuvered around one more round of _water guns,_ before it was close enough to strike. It flattened its hand like a brick, before slicing through the air towards Squirtle's head. The turtle Pokemon brusquely withdrew itself, narrowly avoiding the machop's powerful attempt.

"Reveal and bite!" yelled Ash passionately.

While Machop was extended and off-balance; Squirtle reemerged. He exploded out of concealment with his jaw gaped open, ready to sink his teeth into the fighting-type.

Machop painfully grimaced, as Squirtle vigorously clamped his teeth into its side. The fighting-type responded with a hammering karate chop, thrusting it down atop Squirtle's head. The turtle pokemon's eyes bulged as he endured the blow. But he quickly shook it off, before firing a _water gun _into Machop's chiseled chest. The close-ranged _water gun _struck with an immense amount of pressure. It lifted Machop off of the ground, launching him towards the arena wall. The collision was cogent — the fighting types eyes billowed and his chest heaved at the moment of impact.

"Don't let it get in close again!" commanded Ash. "Finish it at a distance!"

Squirtle had to admit, his new trainer thought similarly to himself. The turtle Pokemon emitted another series of water guns, trying to hit the machop while it was embedded into the wall.

The superpower pokemon registered the attack, before hastily using its strength to free itself from the arena's entrapment.

Ash watched, as Machop heedlessly barreled out of the way of the enfilade. The boy quickly changed his plan of action, understanding the need for a wider scope. "Shift to bubble!"

Squirtle had already initiated the transition, as he seeped his gastric acid into his water supply. The water-type proceeded to impel a bombardment of chemically induced bubbles. They propelled through the air at a dangerous rate, spreading out with malignant intent.

Squirtle examined the cannonade of bubbles, searching attentively for any breaches in the barrage. He quickly located three options for avoidance, before loading another round of _water gun. _He would eliminate the gaps caused by bubble's random accuracy — that is…if it was necessary.

...it wasn't.

The wall of chemically infused bubbles crashed into a helpless Machop, who was unable to locate a breach in the attack. He was hit hard by the fusillade, causing him to scream in agony while the chemicals seeped into his skin.

Squirtle was pretty sure that the battle had been won. However, he coldly fired a quick battery of high-velocity _water guns_ for good measure. It made coercive contact in numerous places, overpowering Machop's will to stay conscious. The superpower pokemon slid across the ground aimlessly, eventually coming to a limp stop in front of its flabbergasted trainer.

"Machop is unable to battle, Squirtle is the winner!" announced the referee. "The victory goes to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

"Dammit…" sighed the greasy haired trainer, as he returned Machop. "Good battle my friend, but we've still got some work to do."

The angular teenager acknowledged Ash's victory with curt nod, before hastily shuffling out of the arena. Ash cursed under his breath — sportsmanship didn't appear to be a high-priority aboard the famous _S.S. Anne_.

Ash proceeded to divert his attention towards his water-type. The turtle pokemon had proved himself to be trustworthy in their first official battle together. Ash wanted to make it clear to Squirtle just how much he appreciated his support. The dark-haired boy gave Squirtle a warm smile, as he leaned over and affectionately scratched the top of his head.

"Great battle Squirtle," crooned Ash. "You were exceptional."

Squirtle backed away from Ash — unsure of how to handle the sudden affection. He subsequently nodded his head up and down with a blank expression, attempting to respond to Ash's gratitude in a more comfortable way.

Ash smiled; he would always remain available if Squirtle ever chose to open up. Until then, he wouldn't pressure his water-type to change. The ten-year old boy was just happy that Squirtle was listening to him. He would accept Squirtle's personality no matter how distant it was…

"Be prepared for another battle," warned Ash. "I might need to use you if I keep winning."

Void of emotion, Squirtle grunted affirmatively, before waiting expectantly for suspended animation. Ash gave Squirtle what he wanted, smiling tranquilly as he returned the water-type to his pokeball…

After healing Squirtle in the mock arena's corresponding restoration machine, Ash once again headed back to the B Wing's lobby. It was much less chaotic, primarily because the majority of the competition had already been eliminated. He walked over to the front desk in order to check his next matchup. His final opponent of the preliminaries was some kid named Chance Chapman. The receptionist informed him what mock arena his battle would take place in, before shoeing him along in order to take care of the next inquisitive trainer.

Ash had exactly thirty minutes until he battled his next opponent. If he won, he would have a little more than an hour to prepare for the _S.S. Anne's_ top sixteen. Ash spent the duration of the wait doing research on his pokedex' and internally debating which pokemon he was going to use next. Once the drag of a wait had finally come to an end, he headed towards the site of his final preliminary battle.

His final preliminary match was on the same battlefield as his first. The dark-haired boy could still see the black scorch marks that were an evident aftermath of Charmander's ember. Ash kindly waved to the same dark-skinned referee that had overseen his first round battle, before strolling over to the furthest of the two trainer's boxes. He waited patiently for a couple of minutes in advance to his opponent's tardy arrival.

The ordinary looking kid suddenly dashed into the arena exhausted, before scuttling his way over to the trainer box opposite of Ash.

"I'm sorry for being late!" confessed the blonde-haired boy apologetically, as he wiped the sweat from his thin face. "I lost track of time!"

"No worries," replied Ash. "You're only a few minutes late."

"If your opponent doesn't have a problem with the delay, than neither do I," said the referee. "A couple of minutes aren't a big deal. Just don't make a habit of it."

"Yes sir," retorted the blue-eyed boy, as he shifted his gaze towards Ash. "Thanks for being cool about this…"

"Honestly, it's really not that big of a deal," answered Ash, while unclipping a pokeball from his belt. "Now let's get on with this."

"Absolutely," replied Chance, mirroring Ash by detaching his own pokeball from his waist. "I'm ready to go."

The tall referee raised his hand, as he prepared to start the match with his thundering voice. "This is a one-on-one battle between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, and Chance Chapman of Vermillion City! The battle will be decided once a pokemon has been rendered unconscious! Trainers prepare for battle!"

Both trainers focused on the battlefield in anticipation for the competition.

"Begin!"

Ash was the first to send out his pokemon. Appearing in a flash of vibrant light was Growlithe. He instantly crouched, ready for battle. The dark-haired boy could feel the intense heat being accumulated by his puppy pokemon, as he displayed his inner-flame through his open maw.

The boy named Chance sequentially released a valiant looking pidgeotto. It proudly squawked, as it raised its body into the air with its glossy wingspan. Ash found it interesting to see an average-sized pidgeotto. He had gotten so used to his giant Pidgeotto that seeing one that lacked the king's nature was sort of diacritic.

Regardless, the ten-year old boy wasn't foolish enough to disregard this pidgeotto as a lesser challenge. Just because it lacked his specimen's unique physical blessings, didn't mean it was less powerful. The blonde-haired boy's pidgeotto very well could have a distinct advantage in experience. Growlithe had attained a surplus of knowledge battling the species — however Ash was unsure whether the difference in size would make for a different type of battle.

_..._A smaller Pidgeotto, meant a smaller target.

Ash immediately noticed that Growlithe's ability had taken affect. Chance's pidgeotto appeared to be slightly flustered, causing its flight pattern to look somewhat less natural. _Intimidate_ typically only activated against lesser opponents, but Ash tried not to jump to conclusions. He was one battle away from the top sixteen — competition was bound to strengthen at some point.

Growlithe initiated the fight with a salvo of ember. The fire-balls rocketed through the air at an expeditious rate, bearing the violent intent of their user.

"Pidgeotto dodge!" commanded Chance. "Retaliate with quick attack!"

The flying-type skillfully maneuvered around the barrage, before harnessing the breakneck speed that corresponded with _quick-attack. _It descended through the air like a torpedo, after stiffening its neck muscles.

Growlithe instinctually barricaded himself within a cloak of fire, using his flame wheel as an elemental shield.

Speed collided with fire…and both parties were violently forced back.

Pidgeotto appeared to have taken the brunt of the damage, as it wildly skidded across the arena floor. Growlithe momentarily barrel rolled, while his flaming cloak dissipated in the process. Although there were blatant expressions of pain depicted across Growlithe's face, the puppy pokemon was able to quickly recover his balance. His paws slid across the floor, as his momentum finally came to a stop.

Pidgeotto simultaneously used its wings like a parachute in order to stop its momentum. Once the flying-type slowed down enough to gather itself, it used its talons to push itself off of the ground. The bird pokemon thrust its wings, catapulting itself into the enclosed air. Its recovery time was tremendous; as it instantaneously used its wings to throw a flurry of gusts, catching Growlithe off-guard.

Despite his surprise, Growlithe dodged, using his well-conditioned fast-twitch muscles to frenziedly bolt out of the way. After clearing the battery of wind, he catapulted a second array of ember. The fire-type instantaneously dashed towards Pidgeotto, who was preoccupied by the incoming flames. The puppy pokemon masked himself behind his own attack, causing Chance's pidgeotto to jolt when the fire-type unveiled itself behind a ball of scorching fire.

"Bite/ember combo!"

The canine sunk his teeth into Pidgeotto's side, while using the force behind his leap to rip the bird down to the ground. Upon collision, Growlithe unleashed an outburst of fire, causing an abrupt detonation. Pidgeotto shrieked like a _misdreavus, _as its body was harshly impacted on both sides by the hard surface and Growlithe's bite/ember combo.

Ash winced in response to the brutal attack. _Bite/ember combo_ was typically an endurable technique, but when amplified by the massive amount of force Growlithe was just able to create, it became unbearable.

"Pidgeotto is unable to battle! Growlithe is the winner!" boomed the referee. "Victory goes to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

Growlithe proudly exhaled a curtain of fire, as he walked back to Ash's side with a bit of a sore limp. The unconscious pidgeotto was quickly wrapped up in a quilt of red-light, before being returned to its pokeball.

Ash bent over and congratulated Growlithe with a brief stroke to his tuft, before being interrupted by Chance's orotund voice.

"Good match, Ash," said Chance. "That Growlithe's got quite the bite."

"Thanks," replied Ash, as he held his hand out to the friendly thin faced boy. "Growlithe's been working hard on it. That Pidgeotto of yours has strong wings — Keep training it hard."

"Of course," answered the blue eyed boy, while he shook Ash's hand. "Well anyway, I better get going. I don't want to miss out on getting a seat for the top sixteen."

"I won't hold you up then," said Ash. "Nice meeting you Chance... I'll see you later."

"Yup, see you around Ash," inserted Chance. "Good luck with the rest of the tournament."

In order to avoid an awkward second goodbye, Ash let Chance get a head start out of the arena. After thanking the referee, the fresh-faced boy proceeded to return Growlithe so that the pup could get healed by one of the _S.S. Anne's_ restoration machines. The ten-year old boy didn't know how long he would be able to last in the top sixteen of this tournament. Nevertheless, it comforted him to know that he'd have a healthy Growlithe as an option.

In subsequence to getting Growlithe's pokeball back from the S.S. Anne staff member, Ash once again headed back to the B Wing's lobby. Before he would head over to the main arena, Ash wanted to sit down in the lounge and strategize. Coming up with a plan of action would be rather difficult. He had no way to know what pokemon his opponents would choose, or how strong they would be. The dark-haired boy simply wanted to figure out which of his pokemon he would choose to give the valuable experience to.

…The preliminaries for the most part were a breeze. Ash had a feeling that the top sixteen of the _S.S. Anne_ tournament wouldn't be nearly as facile.

XXX

Ash, together with the rest of the remaining competitors, sat in the first row of the risen bleachers. He watched entrancingly, as a gaggle of kadabra raised a psychic barrier over the conflux of spectators.

It was the first time Ash had laid eyes on the psi-pokemon. Their yellow humanoid forms were eerie, yet sublime. The species deep-set eyes slanted narrowly, while glowing with an auroral pink. The red star on their foreheads oscillated and their conduit spoons quavered, while they dutifully doused the bleachers with protective enchantments.

Ash gulped — he would have to battle one of these creatures when he faced Sabrina.

…How on earth was he going to approach his battle with the psychic virtuoso? His pokemon had no experience battling a pokemon of the psychic typing. Furthermore, none of his friends currently possessed a way to protect their minds from even the weakest psychic incursion.

Right now, there wasn't a single pokemon on his team that he could confidently challenge Sabrina with. Even though defeating a psychic pokemon was a skill that he'd like to eventually teach all of his pokemon — that kind of training would take months. Clefairy could probably learn in a lot faster, due to the unique thaumaturgic energy coursing through her veins. However, it would be foolish of him to think that his fairy-type could take down both of Sabrina's registered pokemon.

Sabrina's famous Kadabra would be a long shot in and of itself. Any other psychic pokemon she had under her revered tutelage would be overkill. The dark-haired boy had yet to research what Sabrina's other league registered pokemon was — which was pivotal information if he wanted to stand a chance. Nevertheless, now wasn't the appropriate time to worry about this.

…He needed to focus his attention back on his current surroundings.

The vast psychic barrier was successfully suspended above and around the crowd. It could be descried with a heavy squint, but for the most part it was completely transparent. Anytime the league hosted a battle that was accompanied by an audience, some kind of protection had to be established.

All registered trainers, were required to sign a waiver after the qualification exam that exempted the League of responsibility for any injuries attained from a stray attack. However, this didn't apply to spectators. As long as you had tickets, anyone could watch a match taking place at a League accredited battle site. Therefore, if the League had provided your means for attendance, they were responsible for your safety.

After the squad of kadabra had plodded their way through the barrier, they effortlessly maintained their focus on the other side. The dark-haired boy painstakingly watched in awe, desiring a kadabra of his own.

Ash's attention was suddenly diverted, when he heard the distinct sound of Ariana's disembodied voice.

"Welcome everybody to the top sixteen of the _S.S. Anne's_ single-eliminationtournament," crooned Ariana. "Give a round of applause for all of the trainers that have fought their way through the preliminaries, for a chance to battle in this arena."

Ash tracked down her voice amidst the ruckus of the crowd. The ten-year old boy lusted, as she swaggered her way down the bleacher stairs from the direction of the mounted broadcast booth.

She continued to speak smoothly, like a siren, as she strutted her way over to the center of the arena. "We will commence the competition in a few short moments. But before we start, I would like to introduce a special guest."

Ash looked around at the intrigued crowd, as Ariana patiently waited on the appearance of the specified spectator. Suddenly…standing up and out of the first row of the bleachers, opposite of Ash, was a familiar elegantly dressed man. Ash recognized him as the man he had met on his first day aboard the ship; the one who yearned for the respect of the sea — Wallace.

Ariana beckoned him over to the center of the battlefield, before proceeding to present the comely man to the audience. Right before Ariana spoke; Ash noticed the assortment of slack-jawed onlookers trickled amongst the sea of people.

…They alluringly gazed at the extravagant man as if he was an exalted king.

"I welcome to the arena the newly crowned Champion of the Hoenn region, Wallace Mikari of Sootopolis City!"

Ash joined the rest of the masses — acquiring a dropped jaw and a pair of awe-inspired eyes.

…_He_ had engaged in small talk, with a _Champion_.

Wallace carried the same title as the Kanto regions, Lance Wataru, of the dragon clan. Ash didn't know too much about the other regions leagues; mostly because a _Champion's_ jurisdiction didn't extend outside of their own region. For this reason, unless you were an international traveler, seeking out more than just the _essence _of the pokemon in your home region, information on the other champions wasn't a necessity.

The only other Champion Ash knew of prior to this moment, was the Johto region's master dark-type trainer — Karen Karin. Because of Johto's close proximity to Kanto, Lance and Karen made a lot of appearances in each other's regions. Also, on account of Kanto and Johto's great relations; there were a lot of co-events shared between both regions requiring each champion's presences — such as the Kanto/Johto grand festival. Therefore, Karen Karin's fame was precedent in Kanto, just as Lance's was in Johto.

Ash's thoughts were smoothly interrupted by Wallace's silvery voice.

"Congratulations trainers for making it this far, like Ms. Ariana just said, I come from the far away land of Hoenn. It has been a pleasure to get the chance to remove myself from the familiar, and enjoy another region's people and pokemon. I've only been a champion since the end of last season. Nevertheless, it's been nice to be able to relax a bit. The work of a champion can be arduous. Therefore, a cruise aboard the famous _S.S Anne_ has been exemplary."

The audience applauded and whistled in response to Wallace's humble words.

"On my first day aboard this ship, I met a boy that reminded me that all people are different," said Wallace, as he intentionally diverted his gaze directly towards Ash. "I look forward to seeing those differences surface in today's battles."

In that moment, Ash felt like he was the only person being talked to, as Wallace spoke of their previous encounter. It appeared that he had somehow piqued the interest of one of the world's most acclaimed masters. The dark-haired boy continued to look ahead, while the well-dressed Champion shifted his gaze directly above him.

"For those of you that are just spectating, please enjoy the show," advised Wallace. "I have a feeling it's going to be a good one."

Wallace subsequently handed the mic back to Ariana, before returning to his spot in the bleachers. Ariana lifted the mic back up to her luscious lips, while she spoke in a fluid exclamation. "Let me hear it for the Champion of Hoenn, Wallace Mikari!"

The arena erupted, cheering madly for the foreign master. Wallace simply crossed his arms with a smirk, as he listened to the blustering noise of the adoring crowd. Ash observed, as Wallace handled the obnoxiousness of the conflux serenely, closing his eyes while he eventually gestured for them to get quiet.

Once the crowd had calmed down, Ariana spoke out once again, while running her fingers through her silky red hair. "I'm sure Mr. Mikari appreciates your cheerfulness. However, now that our guest has been introduced, it's time to get this party started!"

The large assembly of people enlivened the voluminous chamber once again, roaring in response to Ariana's exclamation.

"Now let's not waste any more time!" echoed the gorgeous emcee. "Quiet down so I can announce the first matchup!"

The collection of voices gradually fizzled out, as they listened carefully to Ariana's words. Ash listened attentively, anxious for his chance to battle in the state of the art arena…

XXX

The first wave of matches was rather entertaining. Ash had watched nearly all of his unknown adversaries in action, and his verdict was that most of the trainers seemed to be on a relatively equal playing field. There were a few lopsided battles, but the ten-year old boy had honestly only witnessed two trainers that outclassed him. Most of the competitors were relatively young, just like him.

The _S.S. Anne_ wasn't necessarily brimming with talent, like Lt. Surge had suggested. But there were still a handful of good beginners and a few seasoned veterans. Ash assumed that the slim collection of trainers that were able to get a ticket by beating Surge, were mostly rookies with less than three badges. Not too many people in the region could defeat Surge's real team — the lieutenant was just too damn powerful.

The rest of the passengers aboard the _S.S. Anne_ were mainly rich businesspeople, who barely qualified as trainers. A lot of Kanto's upper class citizens got their trainer's license just so they could own a pet, or two. Rich people didn't usually adapt well to the affliction of travel — which was where the majority of good trainers found their team and honed their skills.

...The truth is, in the field of battle, there's only so much that money can achieve on its own.

Skill is learnt…not bought.

Ash's first match in the acutely built arena was the final battle of the round. He stood patiently in his designated trainer box, mirroring his serious looking opponent.

The dark-haired boy embraced the atmosphere, as the skinny referee began to commence the battle.

"This is a one-on-one battle between David Ensign of Vermillion City, and Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town! The battle will be called once a pokemon has been knocked unconscious! Trainer's prepare for battle!"

Ash reached for Bulbasaur's pokeball, as he briefly examined his opponent. The boy was about his age, with short red hair and a thin face clustered with freckles. The boy's dark-brown eyes glared menacingly at Ash in attempt to intimidate him.

...It didn't work.

"Begin!"

Without a word, Ash hastily released Bulbasaur. The saurian zoned out the crowd, as he zeroed in on his opponent. The grass-type protruded his vines, letting his adversary know that he was ready for battle.

The freckled boy simultaneously released a foolhardy beedrill. It rapidly flapped its rounded, veined wings, as it hissed out of its pointed mouth. The bipedal poison-bee leered at Bulbasaur using its large red eyes. It grated its massive, poison coated stingers together, creating a despicable chirr.

"Beedrill use poison sting!" commanded the red-haired trainer, while he folded his arms arrogantly.

The action began as the bug-type secreted a poisonous substance from its abdominal stinger, before ruthlessly attempting to stab Bulbasaur. The grass-type tactfully dodged, careful not to get struck by the fully-evolved insect. Even though Bulbasaur's secondary typing was poison, he frantically avoided Beedrill's flurry. Regardless of the toxins, poison sting was bound to inflict damage. The sheer size of Beedrill's stinger was indubitably impressive, and it would without a doubt create some type of painful wound if it landed.

In attempt to disrupt Beedrill's assailment, Bulbasaur retaliated with a lone lashing of one of his whip-like appendages. The saurian barely connected, just making enough contact to throw Beedrill off. The seed pokemon proceeded to expel a quick burst of blue powder — it whisked through the air expeditiously, shimmering throughout the process.

Ash crossed his fingers, as he watched the newly mastered _sleep powder_ briskly travel through the air like a cloud of smoke. Beedrill reacted hastily, using his fast flapping wings to avoid the enfilade of powder.

Ash cursed under his breath — the bug-type's speed posed a serious problem. The grass-type was unable to activate chlorophyll, on account of the enclosed setting — which put him in an adverse circumstance in terms of speed. Not to mention the fact that Beedrill had a significant type advantage over Bulbasaur. Beedrill technically had a double advantage, due to the fact that Bulbasaur was both a grass and poison type. Hitting Beedrill with sleep powder was one of Bulbasaur's only logical options. Unfortunately, landing it wouldn't be easy.

Beedrill suddenly used the joust-like stingers connected to his forelegs to try and pierce Bulbasaur. Ash gritted his teeth nervously, as Bulbasaur dodged jab after jab. His stingers glowed with a slight greenish-tint. Ash recognized the ferocious technique as _twineedle_ — a bug-type technique infused with poisonous properties.

"Hurry up and hit it, Beedrill!" shouted the arrogant boy with a scowl. "You've got it on its heels!"

Bulbasaur took a marginally painful graze to his side, as he reloaded his sleep-powder's secretion sac. In order to slow it down, the saurian fired a quick array of leech seeds at Beedrill's striped abdomen. The bug-type effortlessly avoided the barrage, using his wings to jet out of the way.

Ash could hear the crowd howl in the background, while the battle continued to unfold at a tremendous speed. Every once in a while, he would notice the sound of Ariana's amplified voice, as she attempted to announce every bit of action that took place. He tried not to get too distracted though, Bulbasaur needed his full attention against a speedy foe such as Beedrill.

"Try and catch it with vine whip!" commanded Ash, as Bulbasaur dodged another surge of twineedles. "Be careful of its stinger!"

In attempt to grab hold of one of Beedrill's legs, the grass-type swiftly reached out with one of his vines. His first attempt was to no avail, barely missing the bug-types segmented extremity. Beedrill remained in close enough proximity for a second attempt though, so Bulbasaur subsequently stretched out with his other vine.

Ash internally celebrated, as Bulbasaur barely latched on. The poison-bee pokemon frantically tried to shake the saurian off, but had no such luck.

"Sleep powder now!" howled Ash, while Bulbasaur finally created an opening.

"Shake it off!" yelled the freckled boy in an edgy-tone.

Beedrill tried to break free, but Bulbasaur's grasp was too strong. The saurian impelled another bluish powder. It enveloped the bug-type; concurrently penetrating its lungs and bloodstream. Bulbasaur's vines no longer felt a resistance, as Beedrill went limp under anesthesia.

"Slam it to the ground!" yelled Ash. "And finish it with takedown!"

Bulbasaur swung his vines powerfully — he could hear the crowd roar as beedrill painfully collided with the ground. Bulbasaur didn't give the bug-type an opportunity to wake-up, barreling across the arena with violent intent.

"Beedrill, wake up!" screamed its trainer, before Bulbasaur closed the distance in a flash.

The outcry was useless, as Bulbasaur recklessly pulverized Beedrill with his body. The bug-type momentarily jolted out of its slumber, before subsequently folding under the pressure of unconsciousness. Beedrill were known for their speed and attack power, their feeble bodies didn't provide good endurance against physical attacks. The battle was over as soon as Beedrill had been caught.

"Beedrill is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Bulbasaur is the winner! The battle goes to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

"And that's it folks!" announced Ariana, as Ash gestured Bulbasaur back over to his side. "Our last match of the round has been decided! Ketchum wins with a decisive _vine whip/take-down_ combination!"

As Bulbasaur approached Ash, the ten-year old boy could see the scarlet red-light of Beedrill being returned in the background. He serenely smiled at his grass-type, crouching down once Bulbasaur was within arms-reach. The dark-haired boy leaned over, getting close enough that the saurian could hear him over the sound of the cacophonous audience.

"Good job buddy," praised Ash. "Sleep powder was just as potent as we'd hoped."

Bulbasaur's smile happily stretched from cheek to cheek, as he soaked in his trainer's kind words. The saurian's expression only became more vibrant, as he felt a warm energy seep out of his core.

Ash brightened up, while he watched Bulbasaur's body expel an incandescent white light. His memory instantly shifted back to Mt. Moon, where he watched a similar scene unfold under the influence of the primordial moonstone. The radiant white light expanded in scope, as the enshrouded being grew from within. The ten-year old boy clenched his fists in excitement, as evolution finally revealed itself amongst his team.

The crowd boisterously erupted, as the white light gradually fizzled out. Ash tranquilly smiled at the result of the brief, refulgent display. Standing in the aftermath of the resplendent outburst was a new being. It resembled its previous form in a lot of ways, but its body was slightly bigger and its features had flourished. Bulbasaur's bulb had bloomed into a pretty pink bud — the base of the bud was surrounded by four leafy, green fonds. Its' complexion had darkened considerably and its countenance was much more fierce. The anatomy of _Bulbasaur_ had changed; _Ivysaur_ now stood before his trainer.

"What a treat," announced Ariana's disembodied voice. "We've been honored with the opportunity to watch a live evolution. Give Ivysaur a round of applause for its wondrous display!"

The arena echoed, as the audience cheered for the saurian.

Ash gleefully laughed, while an excited Ivysaur affectionately nestled his head into Ash's chest. His grass-type may have evolved, but his _essence _had stayed the same.

XXX

Ash made his way back to the trainers' box, as he mentally prepared for his next battle. He was still getting over the excitement of Ivysaur's evolution. However, he suppressed his emotions in order to focus on his next opponent. He was facing off against a girl named Ally. She had shown formidable skill in the first round, using a rash poliwhirl to win her last battle.

The rough looking brunette enlarged her selected pokeball, while she focused her eyes on the battlefield. Ash handled one of his automated spheres, as he settled into his designated zone.

The crowd got quiet, while the referee prepared to initiate the match.

"This is a one-on-one battle between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, and Ally Stork of Saffron City! The battle will be decided once a pokemon has been rendered unconscious! Trainers prepare for battle!"

Ash could feel the tension in the chamber, as the encompassing crowd was about to ignite.

"Begin!"

Once the heavy dose of bright light ceased, Ash's giant Pidgeotto dwarfed a rambunctious mankey.

The fighting-type bounced around on its two-toed feet. Its round, shaggy fur shook wildly and the nostrils on its pig-like snout flared, while it psyched itself up for battle.

Pidgeotto leaned over with a hellish expression, severely pissed off by the small mammal's arrogance. He gratingly squawked, emitting a sound that portrayed malicious intent.

Ash gulped — this could turn out ugly.

The crowd had yet to erupt. They were currently entranced under the sheer size of the colossal Pidgeotto. The beast raised itself into the air, requiring only two thrusts of its wings to propel itself off of the ground.

Ash watched, as Ally Stork's countenance shifted from confident to fearful — a common reaction after witnessing Pidgeotto's abnormal immensity. Her mankey obliviously strengthened its mind with _focus energy_, too focused on itself to recognize its disadvantage.

Pidgeotto glared down at the fighting-type, spreading his wings in preparation for twin-tempest. The avian didn't care how immature his opponent was, he'd been itching to use his signature technique in battle once more. The immense flying-type slowly formulated two howling tempests. They circulated in the air, spewing draconic energy in every which direction. The two full-power twisters remained separate — a byproduct of Pidgeotto's powerful exhalation.

For the first time, Mankey appeared to grasp reality, as it looked up in the air with fearful eyes. It watched while Pidgeotto palpitated his' wings, before unleashing the devastating attack. Ash felt kind of bad for the fighting-type. It was stuck — frozen by its own despair. Not that it mattered anyway — it took a pokemon of tremendous size and strength to break free of twin tempest's gravitational pull. Mankey's evolved form, _primeape_, would probably have enough strength in its legs to escape the technique at this juncture. But a mankey of this level stood no chance. Its fate was sealed upon release.

The explosion that triggered when _twin tempest_ clashed with the ground was ruinous. The sound of Mankey's cry was easily drowned out by the infernal shrill of _twin tempest, _while it shred through the rocky terrain. Ash covered his eyes, as the dust from the blowout settled. The encompassing crowd was silent, utterly shocked by the devastation of the attack. Left in _twin tempest's _furrow was a blacked out mankey — it laid on itsback erroneously, unaware of its surroundings.

"Mankey is unable to battle!" declared the official. "Pidgeotto wins! Victory goes to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

"Well that was fast!" announced Ariana, while everyone in the arena held their tongues. "Ketchum's Pidgeotto wins with an overwhelming variance on twister!"

The delayed reaction of the audience subsided, as Pidgeotto landed smoothly next to his trainer. They broke out into an uproar, cheering for the battling duo. Ash had to admit it was a pleasant feeling. The sudden burst of adoration he received from the spectators was spine-tingling.

His flying-type didn't seem to recognize the cheers though. He gently squawked, as he waited for Ash's praise.

The dark-haired boy reached up and scratched behind Pidgeotto's wing, causing the avian to softly croon. Ash understood that he was the only being capable of drawing out this side of Pidgeotto. It made him feel special — the ordinarily sadistic flying-type had a soft side after all, he was just extremely selective about who he showed it to.

Ash and Pidgeotto's moment was interrupted by their defeated opponent. She repetitively tapped Ash on the shoulder, making it absolutely impossible for him to ignore her.

"Yes?" questioned Ash, as he turned his attention away from Pidgeotto. "What is it?"

Her countenance was wry, as she held out her hand. "Good battle…"

Ash awkwardly grasped her suspended extremity — sportsmanship for the most part had been absent throughout the tournament, so he wasn't exactly expecting kind words from someone he had just decimated.

"Thank you…" replied Ash to the rough looking girl, as he forced a smile. "Um… good battle to you as well."

Ally's expression softened, while she lightly chuckled under her breath. "It could have been better. I should have known Mankey wasn't ready for competitive battle."

Ash curiously raised an eyebrow. "New capture?"

"Might as well be," replied Ally. "She hatched from an egg a couple of months ago. She's still young."

"Gotchya," muttered Ash. "If I would have known, I would have told Pidgeotto to–"

"Don't say it," interrupted the brunette. "Compromising a battle isn't a good way to gain experience. I'm glad she got crushed — maybe she'll take her training a little more seriously, now that she knows she's not as tough as she thinks she is."

Ash scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "You're right…I don't know what I was thinking."

"It's fine…well anyways, good luck in the next round," she said, as she gestured to the encompassing crowd. "I think they're starting to get impatient."

Ash looked around at the mass of irritated spectators, before hearing Ariana's voice.

"I hate to break up this honorable exchange," said the woman's smooth, sultry voice. "But, we still have two more matches left in the round. So, if you could wrap things up it would be nice."

Ash laughed, as he recalled his gargantuan avian. "Nice meeting you Ally. See you around the ship."

The rough looking brunette gave Ash an abbreviate nod, before heading back to her spot in the crowd.

Ash followed suit; plodding his way over to his seat, before anxiously awaiting his next match.

XXX

Up to this point, Ash had skated through the competition relatively untested. He had battled a few trainers that were decent. But for the majority of today's campaign, the boy had been in control from the very beginning of each match.

…That was about to change.

Ash had watched his upcoming adversary steamroll his opponents in the previous two rounds. The powerful trainer was in his young teens. The boy exuded confidence...and his experience was more than evident.

In the first round of the top sixteen he used a stout marowak. In a matter of seconds, the fully-evolved ground-type utterly destroyed the opposing opponent's weepinbell — despite the grass pokemon's type advantage.

In the top eight, the well-defined teenager battled utilizing a menacing pinser. At the time, Ash's mind was immediately taken back to his battle against Samurai in the Viridian Forest. However, once he watched the confident teenager's pinser battle; the familiar memory was quickly discarded. Unlike the specimen Pidgeotto had beaten, this pinser was a monster. It handily defeated a boy's staryu as if it was a newborn magikarp...

…Ash had reached the top four of the S.S. Anne's tournament — the competition was about to beef up considerably...and he knew it.

Ash faced off against the elder boy, as he handled Pidgeotto's pokeball. The flying-type hadn't taken any damage in the last battle, and more than likely offered him the greatest chance of victory.

The chiseled faced teen looked at him with a smile. His countenance depicted that of a genuinely good guy — Ash could tell that he wasn't the type to intimidate through any means other than his pokemon. The teen's short, gelled, dirty-blonde hair stayed stationary, as he seemingly shook out the butterflies before the match. He rolled up his green, long-sleeved shirt that almost matched the color of his verdant, hazel-green eyes.

The skinny referee cleared his throat, before raising his arm to commence the battle. "This is a one-on-one battle between Austin Turner of Fuchsia City, and Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town! The last trainer with a pokemon standing wins! Trainers prepare for battle!"

The young teenager detached a pokeball from his belt, before bellowing across the battlefield. "Give me your best kid!"

Ash nodded, before enlarging Pidgeotto's pokeball.

"Begin!"

Pidgeotto appeared in a flash of light, leering at his opponent with dangerous eyes. The flying-type carefully watched, as the subsequent array of bright light faded to reveal an experienced looking fearow.

The angry specimen stood a little bit shorter than Ash's avian. However, once it showed off its lengthy ailerons, Ash could tell that its wingspan exceeded Pidgeotto's. The decorative, red coxcomb on top of its head quavered, while it fiendishly thrust its bayonet-like beak forward. Fearow emitted a discordant squawk, before looking at Pidgeotto peculiarly.

Pidgeotto's eyes turned savage and his primordial instincts took over. Ash squinched his face in anticipation — this was going to be a vulgar one.

The last millennium of both of these species existences had been painfully intertwined. In the skies of Kanto the pidgey evolutionary line had won the battle for dominance. This truth only enraged the spearow — which gradually led to a genetic corruption of their personality. Spearow were crude, devilish creatures; their fully-evolved form fearow was even more murderous.

Fearow and Pidgeotto simultaneously thrust their powerful wings towards the ground, before they took off into the chamber's available sky. They both emitted resonant battle cries, while they effortlessly ascended, collecting a plethora of gasps from the enthralled crowd.

The avians skillfully weaved around each other, while they promptly neared the arena's roof. They created a visual draught, before concurrently opening their wings like a parachute. The resistance yielded their momentum, before eventually bringing them to a bona-fide halt. There was a momentary gap in the action, as both birds circled each other like some sort of aerial gambol.

Ash took his eyes off of the two avians for a split second, when he heard a cheerful laugh derive from his opponent. Ash watched, as the teenager looked up with gleeful eyes, while the two flying-types prepared to engage each other. It was obvious that the chiseled faced teen was enjoying the display.

The dark-haired boy shifted his attention back to the battle. Pidgeotto and Fearow were feinting in and out of their aerial dance, as they beckoned one another to commit to an attack. In attempt to sharpen his view, Ash squint his eyes. He hadn't seen Pidgeotto battle this precariously in a long time — which meant his foe was either of equal or stronger stature.

Pidgeotto was the first to commit to an attack, as he vehemently used his wings to conjure up a flurry of gusts. The Fearow took the first one head on, due to its close proximity, before jetting out of the way of the enfilade.

Ash watched Fearow enhance its speed, as Pidgeotto continued to throw gust after gust. The menace darted back and forth throughout the air at an expeditious speed, becoming harder to follow with every passing moment. Ash recognized the technique as agility — a speed boosting move that literally enhanced the rate of motion of every individual cell in the user's body.

Pidgeotto treaded in the air, as he watched the enemy _birr _throughout the chamber. He whipped up a whirlwind with intention to draw the fearow in. The enemy briefly revealed itself, before performing a sortie with dark-energy. Pidgeotto had little experience with the dark-element — his only familiarity involved Growlithe's rudimentary bite.

Fearow's _assurance_ sliced through the formulating whirlwind, like a knife cuts through butter, before colliding with the confused Pidgeotto. Ash witnessed, as his avian contorted, painfully invaded by the crepuscular wave.

"Shake it off!" howled Ash. "Create distance with quick attack!"

Pidgeotto responded sluggishly, using his wings to initiate the rapid movement. He threw himself through the air, while continuously feeling the internal strife that Fearow's dark-energy was inflicting.

The affliction finally came to an end, as Pidgeotto gathered himself amidst the air. He spread his wings, quickly absorbing the atmospheres draconic energy in order to manipulate a twister.

Twin-tempest wasn't an option — the enemy was too fast.

The lone twister roared like a freight train, while it stirred into its expansive form. Ash watched the purple draconic energy overflow within Pidgeotto's wings, as Fearow stalled his movement intriguingly. The devilish scavenger waited until Pidgeotto unleashed the cyclone, before showing his cards. The enemy instantaneously manipulated a twister of its own — equal in size to Pidgeotto's.

Ash scoffed; twister wasn't in a fearow's learn-set. Either Austin had taught Fearow twister through a TM (an artificial move-tutor that instantaneously installs a technique into a pokemon's intelligence), or the avian was using mirror-move. Probability had the answer leaning more towards the ladder.

The two purple-tinted twisters met in a flash, stimulating an outrageous uproar. The grating noise they created, as they merged together, had every person in the vast room covering their ears. Ash grimaced, as fearow's copy-cat twister took the advantage, pushing Pidgeotto's authentic cyclone back towards its creator.

Ash had never seen such an expression on his flying-type's face. Pidgeotto appeared to be flabbergasted, as the "twin-tempests" fused together on their way to swallow him.

"Get out of there!" howled Ash, while the augmented twister promptly closed the distance between itself and Pidgeotto.

Pidgeotto didn't stand a chance. The pull of the gargantuan twister was too powerful for him to overcome. Pidgeotto tried to fight his way out of the elemental vacuums range, but it was to no avail. He venomously scowled, as he was sucked up into his own attack.

Ash cursed under his breath, as Pidgeotto painfully squawked from within the powerful tempest. The crowd roared, while Fearow fiendishly belted a shrill of superiority. The massive, draconic infused whirlwind spiraled aimlessly for an abbreviate moment, before spitting out a battered Pidgeotto right before it dissipated.

The king of Pidgeotto heedlessly plummeted through the air, conscious, but completely unaware of his surroundings. Fearow chortled, as it used agility to initiate its steep, high-velocity decent. It rocketed through the air like a nuclear missile, shackling its wings in attempt to catch up to Pidgeotto.

Ash's stomach dropped, as he continued to watch the powerhouse of his team get humiliated by its natural rival.

Pidgeotto suddenly expelled his damaged wings, attempting to slow down his meteor-like fall. The giant sifted through his available techniques, desperately trying to come up with a counter to crush the puissant Fearow.

He had none — absolutely nothing — the enemy was more experienced; the Fearow was stronger...

…He'd lost.

Fearow performed an intricate aerial display, as it briskly piloted itself through the air. The scavenger disembogued a victorious squawk, before using its beak like an auger to strike Pidgeotto's back.

The ten-year old boy recognized the technique as drill-run — a move typically learned by ground-types. Unfortunately, Fearow had the ability to learn the devastating technique as well — able to use its long, sharp beak as a substitute drill.

Pidgeotto succumbed to comatose in mid-air. The impact of drill-run was too overwhelming to endure, especially after taking the full brunt of two combined twisters.

Ash expelled an exasperated sigh, as he returned Pidgeotto right before the avian collided with the ground. There was no reason to risk Pidgeotto's health. He had lost — there would be no comeback.

"Pidgeotto is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Fearow is the winner! The victory goes to Austin Turner of Fuchsia City!"

The crowd went wild, as Ash self-reflected over the defeat.

He wasn't necessarily disappointed. Ash had a feeling he would be outclassed before the battle even started. His opponent was a veteran, and the teen's pokemon were well-trained. The ten-year old boy had a long way to go before he could defeat a trainer of this caliber…Regardless, it was good experience — Pidgeotto would learn from his defeat.

The ten-year old boy watched, while Austin congratulated his fearow. The teen gently stroked the scavenger's red coxcomb, receiving a soft hum from the typically torturous avian. Ash faintly smiled; the relationship that the teenager had with his fearow, resembled the precious affinity he shared with his own flying-type.

The moment was interrupted by the resonation of Ariana's amplified voice. "With a convincing aerial victory against Ketchum, Turner moves on to the final round!"

Ash took the announcement as his cue to congratulate the victor. He made his way over to the other side of the arena, catching the attention of the teen and his fearow. Once Ash was close enough, he politely reached out his hand. "That was a good battle. You handle your fearow well."

"Thanks kid," answered Austin, as he returned the affable gesture. "That Pidgeotto of yours will be a beast before you know it."

"We've definitely go a lot of work to do," replied Ash.

"Eh, don't sweat it," retorted Austin. "How long have you been training it for?"

"A little over a month," said Ash with a shrug. "Not too long."

"Damn…only a month," replied Austin. "I've been training Fearow for a couple of years and your Pidgeotto was able to fly with him. That's pretty impressive."

Ash scratched the back of his head bashfully. "Well…when you put it like that–"

Austin glanced down at Ash's xtranceiver, before interjecting. "That's one of those new mobile video phones the League's coming out with, right?"

"Yeah…" answered Ash. "Why?"

"I won't ask how you got one of those…but I'll tell you what," orated the teenager. "I'll give you the number to my pokegear, so that you can call for a rematch when you think your birds ready. What do you think about that?"

"That would be awesome!" replied Ash.

"Cool, find me after the tournament and we'll exchange numbers," said Austin, as he returned his powerful Fearow. "I gotta hurry up and get ready for the final round."

"Okay," replied Ash with a nod. "Good luck in the final, you better win!"

The teen chuckled, as he began to walk back towards his spot in the stands. "Oh I'll win. No doubt about it."

Ash briefly followed, before finding his own spot in the first-row of the bleachers. He was a little bit upset that he wouldn't get a chance to battle in the final. However, he was still proud of himself for making it to the top four. Hopefully, his new acquaintance Austin would win. That way he could at least say he lost to the guy that won the whole thing...

XXX

Ash anxiously stood out in the middle of the arena. The ten-year old boy waited next to Austin and two pretty teenage girl, while Ariana finished giving out the prizes to the competitors that had placed below them. The winnings at this point had been a lot better than Ash had expected.

If you made it to the top sixteen, you received one-thousanddollars cash in addition to a couple of great balls…

For those that happened to get eliminated in the top eight, they won three-thousand dollars cash and five great balls_..._

After handing over the prizes to the last standing competitor of the top eight, Ariana raised her microphone to her lips. "For the competitors that made it to the top four, each prize varies in value. We'll start with the fourth place winner."

What was left of the crowd focused in, as they awaited the unveiling of the earnings.

"In fourth place, we have Alexia Fuller," informed Ariana, as she kindly shook the blonde's delicate hand. "Congratulations on making it to the top four."

Ariana walked over to a temporary display table that acted as a pedestal for all of the covered prizes. It had been quickly set up after the final match between Austin, and the other teenage girl. The voluptuous emcee unveiled the prize situated under a dark article of cloth. It was set apart by a propped up sign that read: _4__th__._

The well-endowed beauty carried two, stacked, decorative cases over to the pretty-faced teen; along with a thick roll of cash. Before she handed the boxes over, she spoke into her microphone.

"The boxes are sealed, so I'll just announce what is inside," said Ariana, before continuing. "Our fourth place winner gets to leave here with: five great balls, a box of full-restores, and _four-thousand _dollars cash!"

The pretty-faced teen gave the crowd a joyful smile, as she gratefully took hold of her winnings.

Ash's excitement heightened, as Ariana strutted her way over to him.

"Our third place winner is Ash Ketchum," announced the burnished haired goddess, while firmly shaking his hand. "Good job young man, you battled splendidly."

She subsequently swaggered over to the prize table, before pulling the black-sheet off of Ash's earnings. Much like she did with the fourth place winner, Ariana picked up the collection of spoils, before carrying them over to the ten-year old boy.

"Our third place winner has earned himself: two extremely rare ultra balls, two boxes of full-restores, and _eight-thousand dollars cash."_

After receiving the small fortune, and the collection of valuable items, Ash sunk into a bewildered daze. He spent the entirety of the second-place giveaway inside his mind palace, telling himself that this wasn't a dream. The cash and full-restores were two amazing prizes in-and-of themselves — but ultra balls...they were practically priceless.

Ultra balls were a product developed by the League's partner Silph Co. — the company responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of the world's pokeballs, in addition to many other exclusive items.

Some would even go as far say that Silph Co.'s inclination even surpassed that of the leagues, primarily because of their international influence. Every single region in the world relies on Silph Co. to supply them with pokeballs, potions, repels etc. It is one of the only functioning world-wide monopolies allowed to freely maintain power.

Silph Co.'s current CEO, Robert Montgomery (Bill Montgomery's father), is indisputably one of the richest men on the planet. His generosity is equally as big as his wallet, making him one of the most beloved people in the world. The Montgomery family gives away more than half of its incredible revenue to charity — doing whatever they can to help the less fortunate.

Robert Montgomery was the sole designer of the Ultra Ball. Word is...he had spent years creating a capture device more potent than the great ball. Ash remembered reading somewhere that he finished it a couple of years ago, but was still debating whether he would approve it to be sold to the public. Apparently, the League had already given their consent. However, Mr. Montgomery was still up in the air about it...and unfortunately, he wasn't willing to disclose why.

Ash wondered how the cruise liner could possibly get a hold of such a prize. Nevertheless, the fact that Ash was able to win two of the unissued ultra balls was astounding. He definitely wasn't about to complain.

Ash's internal rumination was broken, as Ariana approached Austin. The chiseled faced teen had won the final in a close battle — just like he had said he would. He had defeated the other pretty-faced teenage girl — who was probably just as strong, but had a bad matchup. She summoned an elegant rapidash, while Austin called upon a nasty Golduck with insane psychic capabilities…

"Our victor of the tournament is, Austin Turner!" announced Ariana, with a cheerful intonation.

The audience happily cheered, as Ariana simultaneously took Austin's hand within her own, before raising it in the air. Ash could see the apparent blush on the young teenager's face, as the gorgeous woman grasped his hand. The dark-haired boy internally chuckled, the teen looked like an _electrode_ on the cusp of detonation — that's how ridiculously red his face was.

Once the crowd finally settled down, Ariana headed over to the prize table one last time. Laying on its surface was one last pile of earnings. It was covered by a golden cloak, intentionally setting it apart from the rest of the prizes. Just like the other winnings, it was labeled by a numbered sign that read: _1st._

She dramatically removed the cloak, unveiling two elaborately designed boxes and a fat wad of cash. She swaggered her way back over to the teen, catching the eyes of just about every guy in the arena.

"As a reward for your victory in the _S.S. Anne's_ 50th anniversary tournament," spoke Ariana. "the The Indigo League, Silph Co., and the S.S. Anne staff; shall present to you your prize."

Austin held his hands out, as Ariana handed him the bundle of goodies.

"I have here fifteen-thousand dollars cash, four ultra balls, and well…the last ones a surprise — I'll let you open it."

With a smile on his face, Austin undid the seal and opened up the medial-sized, elaborately designed box. Inside was a beautifully crafted gold-plated pokeball. From Ash's vantage point, he was unsure whether its foundation was that of a pokeball, or one of the pricier upgraded capture devices.

"Go ahead, press the release button," said Ariana, as she looked at Austin expectantly.

The teenager gave her a brief confused look, before catching on. "Wait there's a pokemon in here?"

Ariana laughed, along with most of the encompassing crowd, before answering. "Well of course there is. The pokeball's merely gold-plated — hardly suitable for a grand prize, don't you think?"

The chiseled faced teen scratched the back of his head, while he replied. "Well I don't know about that…I think the golden pokeball's pretty damn sweet. But now that I know there's a pokemon inside, it's even sweeter."

Ash laughed at the goofy teen's comical behavior, as Austin pressed the release button.

The golden pokeball emitted a vibrant surge of white light, before unveiling a cute little eevee. The small brown kit wagged its' tail in the air, as it looked carefully for the human that had released it. Austin gently reached down and held his hand out to the evolution pokemon, letting it explore his scent.

Ash smiled at the sight; it made a lot of sense why the ship would choose an eevee as a grand prize. The evolution pokemon's relatively easy to get along with, in addition to its numerous evolutionary possibilities. Even if a trainer happened to already be in possession of an eevee, they could always evolve a second specimen into something else.

One of the biggest issues with giving away a pokemon as a prize is that the host of the competition is unaware of the contestant's current pokemon. However, an eevee is a great way to disarm that issue —since it's highly unlikely that a trainer is in possession of every single known eevee evolution.

Austin spent a few minutes joyfully playing with the young eevee in front of the crowd, before returning it. With Ariana's final permission, he attached eevee's gold-plated pokeball to his belt, antecedent to returning to Ash's side in the center of the arena.

As Ariana thanked the audience for sitting through the tournament; the teen turned around and whispered to Ash.

"Pretty damn sweet, right?" said the teen quietly, as he held on to his wad of cash like it was a new-born baby. "You better be careful with your winnings, Ash. You never know who might have an eye on them."

"Good point," said Ash, as he held on tightly to his earnings. "I won't let them out of my sight."

The dark-haired boy chimed back into what the beautiful emcee was saying, as he heard the most heavenly word in the world — _food._

"Since most of the trainers probably haven't had any time to eat," informed Ariana. "At nine-thirty we will be hosting a banquet in the A wing's dining hall. I know it's kind of late, but we would love for you to come get a nice gourmet meal before you hit the sack. My watch says nine o'clock, so you have thirty minutes until food is served. Thanks for watching the tournament. I hope you had as much fun as I did. Enjoy the rest of your stay aboard the _S.S. Anne_!"

After the tournament's award ceremony was finally over, Ash pulled Austin off to the side in order to plug the teen's pokegear number into his xtranceiver. After the exchange had taken place, the two new friends engaged in a quick session of small-talk, before going their separate ways. Austin wanted to drop his winnings off in his room before the banquet, while Ash headed straight towards the A wing — just in case there was a line for the food. The boy was as hungry as a _munchlax_, and didn't think he could withstand the sight of watching other people eat, while he waited in a line...

The dark-haired boy reflected on today's events, as he made his way through the ship's extravagantly decorated corridor. He had to admit, a lot of good things happened today…

Growlithe battled well, manipulating his inner-flame like a veteran. He maneuvered his flame-wheel even better than he did against surge, and took bite/ember combo to a new level.

Pidgeotto would probably be extremely upset about how he faired today…but Ash wasn't. The avian executed _twin-tempest_ perfectly against Ally's mankey, and managed to keep up with Austin's seasoned fearow — even if it was only for an abbreviate amount of time. Either way, in Ash's opinion the loss would probably turn out to be a good thing. Over the past couple of weeks Pidgeotto's arrogance had spiked. The avian needed to be reminded that he wasn't the strongest flying-type in the skies, yet.

Clefairy and Charmander both had good showings. Although their adversaries were weak, they made quick work of them — which was all you could ask for in a tournament setting.

Bulbasaur had evolved into Ivysaur — which was something that Ash had yet to really process. The dark-haired boy planned on spending a lot of time in the battle facilities the next couple of days with his grass-type. Evolution usually took a while to get the hang of. Ivysaur would probably need to spend some time to get used to his new body, before he could be completely comfortable in live battle again.

Furthermore, Ash wanted to spend some quality time with Ivysaur as friends. Melanie had warned him that the grass-type's suppressed memories were more likely to surface, as he grew. He didn't notice any changes in Ivysaur during their brief moment together — after the evolution — but then again he wasn't a psychiatrist. He would like to spend a good chunk of time making sure Ivysaur was mentally stable, before proceeding in his training.

Words couldn't explain how relieved Ash was that Squirtle had obeyed him in their very first battle together. Insubordination was something he had been worried about ever since he caught the cold-blooded turtle pokemon. Ash just hoped it lasted. It wasn't rare for evolution to initially cause pokemon to rebel. Since Squirtle was bound to evolve at any moment, this was a legitimate worry of Ash's.

…On top of all of the experience his pokemon got, he had earned some priceless items and a large helping of cash.

The full-restores would come in handy during his long stints on the road. The dark-haired boy wasn't quite sure how many full-restores the two boxes contained, but nevertheless they should help free up his training a little bit. He wouldn't have to worry so much about getting caught in the middle of nowhere with an unconscious pokemon. A full-restore was even more potent than Nurse Joy's restoration machine — capable of healing even the most devastating of injuries. He'd be careful not to waste them. The miracle concoctions were high-end Silph Co. products, he'd have to be an idiot to use them as carelessly as a mere potion.

Ash wasn't quite sure what he'd do with all of the cash. Even before the tournament, his trainer account was relatively well off. The ten-year old boy had accumulated quite a hefty sum of money from all of his battles on the road. Maybe he'd send some home to help out his mom.

Ash had absolutely no idea when he would use the two ultra balls. All he knew was that the pokemon he caught with them would have to be special. Ultra balls were highly potent. He wouldn't use them unless it was necessary. As a matter of fact, it was probably about time he restocked on pokeballs and maybe bought some great balls. He had the money, he might as well.

…Ash's intramural reflection was interrupted by the obnoxiously loud growl disembogued from his stomach. The dark-haired boy sighed, as he longed for sustenance. The boy hadn't eaten since breakfast. The remainder of his reflection could wait until there was food in his stomach.

XXX

The food was consummately delicious. Ash was currently waiting on his third helping of gourmet ramen, as he engaged in a pokemon related conversation with Austin.

"My starter's my meganium," mumbled Austin, as he took a bite out of his bread roll.

The dirty-blonde haired teenager swallowed his food, before continuing. "I wanted a charmander, but I slept in...Chikorita was the only pokemon left when I showed up to Professor Gould's laboratory. I was pretty bummed at first…but it ended up being the best thing that could have ever happened to me. She's been like a sister to me ever since. What about you? I heard Professor Oak still issues bulbasaur every once in a while. You must be one of the lucky few?"

"No, I actually caught Ivysaur in the wild," said Ash. "My starter's a growlithe."

"_Hmmm_...childhood pet?" asked Austin with a curious expression. "Or, maybe a special request?"

"Yeah…a special request just about sums it up," replied Ash. "I just wanted to start my journey with something different, you know?"

"Was it the right choice?"

"Absolutely," answered Ash with a smile. "Growlithe's one of my best friends — right up there with my childhood friend Gary. Honestly, Growlithe's probably the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"That's all that matters," retorted Austin, with an earnest smile. "Make sure you always cherish your starter. They're the only pokemon you'll ever have that has known you since you were nothing."

The older trainer had a good point. Ash had never thought about it like that. Growlithe had known him since before he was even a trainer. The moment they had shared at Professor Oak's lab was the prologue of their conjoined story. No matter how far his adventures would eventually take him, he could never change his roots. No matter how many pokemon he added to his team, Growlithe's position as his starter would always remain untouchable_._

Ash nodded, before changing the subject. This topic had gone deep enough for now. Ash didn't know what else to say, other than that he agreed. "So where does your journey have you right now? Are you planning on battling at this year's tournament?"

"Not the Indigo League — nope," sputtered the chiseled faced teen, as he shook his head. "I'm taking on the silver league this year — trying to see the world a little bit, you know?"

Ash looked at him in a confused manner. "Shouldn't you be in Johto then? Why are you here?"

"I'm here for this obviously," said Austin, as he gestured around the room. "I was doing a transfer with Professor Gould, when he told me that Lt. Surge was giving away free S.S. Anne tickets to anyone that could defeat him. I obviously couldn't miss out on a chance for a free vacation. So I hopped on Fearow back in Goldenrod City and flew straight to Vermillion."

"Jeez…" said Ash. "How long did that take you?"

"Eh, like a day and a half…" said Austin. "The only rough stretch is passing over Mt. Silver. The rest of the ride is relatively smooth."

"I bet..." muttered an astonished Ash, as he processed the feat. Mt. Silver is one of the largest mountains in the entire world. The colossal, hallowed mountain stands more than _twenty-five thousand _feet tall, and stretches over more than _one-hundred _miles in between Kanto and Johto. Flying over such a humongous landmark wasn't easy — the accomplishment only made Ash respect the older trainer even more.

"What about you, Ash?" asked Austin, changing the focal point of the conversation. "You're taking on the Indigo League, right?"

"Yup," replied Ash with a nod.

"How many badges do you have?"

"Only two," answered Ash. "I skipped the Pewter Gym. At the time I only had Growlithe and Pidgeotto."

"Smart move — Brock isn't easy...especially if you don't have a type advantage," replied Austin. "So you have the Thunder Badge, and…?

"Cascade Badge," retorted Ash.

"Who'd you battle?" asked Austin with a raised eyebrow. "All three of the sisters are pretty good…"

"I battled the youngest sister, Misty," replied Ash. "Apparently, she's the best battler out of all of them."

"Misty, eh?" questioned Austin. "Must be the little girl that was running around the gym when I battled Daisy — so she's taking on gym leader duties now…interest–"

"Do you mind if we join you?" interrupted a familiar, elegantly-toned voice.

Both boys shifted their line of sight towards the pair of newcomers.

Ash instantaneously recognized the man that had spoken as Wallace. The champion of Hoenn was dressed in the same extravagant, white suit that he had worn during his speech that preceded the S.S. Anne's top sixteen.

The man accompanying Wallace looked familiar as well. But Ash couldn't quite figure out why. The wealthy looking older gentleman wore a finely made, black sports coat over an off-white, dress-shirt. His unwrinkled, black slacks were a slightly lighter shade than his sports coat, creating a peculiar contrast within his outfit. His facial features were craggy and lived-in — the man's visage looked to be that of someone that had lived an interesting life. He had a neatly groomed, curly, brown mustache that matched the color of his fading hair, and wore a pair of fancy framed bifocal glasses.

"Not at all," answered Ash, as he tried to descry the identity of the wealthy old man, while concurrently flashing a friendly smile toward Wallace.

Austin just sat there dumfounded, unable to formulate words. Ash could tell he was star struck — the ten-year old boy would probably be reacting similarly, if he hadn't already met Wallace.

"Nice to see you again Ash," said the comely champion, as he sat down next to the ten-year old boy; prior to gesturing in the direction of the older gentlemen. "This is my friend Mr. Montgomery."

The luminous lightbulb went off in Ash's head, as the elder man sat down on the opposite side of the table. The iconic, CEO, of Silph Co. cleared his throat, before introducing himself. "I'd prefer it if you called me Robert. It's nice to meet you two lads."

It took just about every ounce of strength in Ash's body to remain seated. How had he not recognized him from the beginning? He was sitting across from possibly the most influential person in the world — Bill's father — Robert Montgomery.

Ash and Austin simultaneously answered — nerves slightly noticeable in their inflections. "Nice to meet you Ro-ro-bert."

Wallace quickly changed the subject. Ash could tell that he picked up on the two boy's nervous dispositions. "You two battled great today; it was a lot of fun to watch. That pidgeotto of yours is a talented specimen, Ash."

Wallace pivoted his gaze towards Austin. "And you're Austin Turner, right? I was especially impressed with that Golduck you used in the final."

Both trainers scratched the back of their heads bashfully, as they received the flattering compliments from one of the strongest trainers in the world.

Austin suddenly turned to Ash curiously. "How do you know Wallace Mikari?"

The dark-haired boy shrugged, before answering. "We met on the first day aboard the ship."

Wallace interjected. "Ash and I had a pleasant conversation about life during the ship's departure."

Austin's eyes lit up, as he turned to Ash. "So you're the one he was talking about during his speech."

"Yeah…kind of," said Ash, as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "But I had no idea who he was. I just thought he was some nice, rich guy that was obsessed with the ocean."

In response to the comment, the table broke out into laughter. Robert was laughing especially hard — Ash had a feeling that he had explained Wallace a little too well.

Once the laughter had finally subsided, the billionaire CEO spoke up. "So Ash, my son Bill has spoken very highly of you over the past couple of weeks. I was _bloody_ surprised to find out that you were onboard the S.S. Anne."

"Bill told you about me," replied Ash. "What'd he say?"

"Ah...he just told me to keep an eye out for you," replied Robert. "Said you'd be something special. I'm a bit of a battle fanatic. So I'm always on the lookout for rising, young trainers to follow."

"If you don't mind me asking, how'd you find out I was onboard the ship?"

"I saw your name in the tournament committee's system," said Robert. "I donated all of the prizes. So they let me take part in the match-up process."

"Makes sense," said Ash

"I would have recognized your _bloody _Pidgeotto either way," replied Robert with a shrug. "Bill's been raving about how your bird has the blasted _king's nature."_

"What's the _king's nature?"_ asked Austin.

"In a nutshell, it pretty much explains the whole giant pokemon phenomenon," explained Robert. "My son's been doing research on it for years. Nothing's been published about it though. My boy needs to gather a little more proof, before it can be counted as a credible theory."

Austin raised a curious eyebrow, while Ash simply nodded along in agreement.

Wallace had an interested look on his face as well. Ash wasn't exactly sure, but judging by his expression, it looked as if the champion wasn't previously aware of Bill's theory.

"Why didn't the tournament committee have some kind of big introduction for you, Mr. Montgomery?" asked Austin boldly. "You're even more famous than Wallace."

Ash noticed the offended expression on Wallace's face, as Robert answered the question hesitantly. "I don't really fancy public speaking. I try to avoid it if I have the choice."

In response to Mr. Montgomery's rather honest answer, both boys nodded their heads.

The rich old man's mustache wiggled, as he proceeded to lean across the table with a funny expression. "Besides, if you couldn't tell by his heart-felt speech, my friend Wallace here absolutely adores the spot light."

The two young trainers chuckled, as the Champion's face turned bright-red due to embarrassment.

To Wallace's benefit, one of the ship's food runners interrupted their conversation, as they finally arrived with Ash's third bowl of ramen. Wallace asked the flustered food runner to send over a waiter, before tactfully changing the direction of the conversation. "So what are your plans for this season boys?"

Ash and Austin quickly gave Wallace and Robert a brief synopsis of their personal agenda's for the upcoming year. Both influential men listened attentively while they ate, briefly interjecting every once in a while to ask a question. Their conversation went on for nearly an hour, until everyone was beginning to drift in and out of the chat due to exhaustion.

"Well, I fancy I should probably be hitting the _kip_," said Robert, as he stood up from the table with a yawn. "It's been a _bloody _long day. See you tomorrow Wallace — nice meeting you two lads."

"Nice talking to you Robert," said both boys simultaneously, as their eye lids grew heavy.

Wallace was the next to stand up from his seat. He adjusted his coat, as he politely shook Mr. Montgomery's hand. "See you tomorrow Robert. What time do you want to meet?"

"Just meet me at that café in the C Wing around nine," replied Mr. Montgomery. "We'll talk over some latte's and breakfast sandwiches."

"Sounds good to me," replied Wallace. "Nine o'clock it is."

Mr. Montgomery proceeded to groggily stumble out of the dining hall, as Ash and Austin stood up to say goodbye to Wallace.

"It was nice to meet you, Wallace," said Austin, as he shook the champion's hand.

"Yes, it was a pleasure," replied the champion with a smile. "See you around the ship.

The teen proceeded to shift his attention towards Ash. "See you later Ash. Hit me up tomorrow if you want to train or something. You've got my number…just hit dial."

"Will do," replied Ash with a friendly smile.

The chiseled faced teen subsequently exited the dining hall, leaving Ash alone with the champion.

"Before I go back to my room…I gotta ask, why didn't you tell me that you were the champion of Hoenn?" asked Ash.

Wallace faintly smiled, before answering. "You didn't ask."

Ash rolled his eyes, in advance to giving a response. "That's not exactly a typical question to ask someone."

"Fair enough," replied Wallace. "Truth is; I was just happy to have a conversation as plain old, Wallace."

"What do you mean?"

"Fame is a double-edged sword," said Wallace, while reaching into his coat pocket. "People begin to look at you for your title, instead of who you are as a person."

Even though he was extremely tired, Ash listened attentively.

Wallace pulled a small, tortoise-colored, electronic device out of his coat pocket, as he continued. "I guess it was just nice to have a chat with someone that saw me, for me."

"I think I understand," replied Ash.

"It's okay if you don't," mused Wallace. "Even if you don't understand now, I'm certain you will someday."

"Why's tha–"

Ash was interrupted, as Wallace briskly passed over the turquoise-colored pokegear. "Put your number in there. I'd like to be able to reach you if something comes up."

Ash complied, quickly typing his xtranceiver's number into the on-screen keyboard, before handing it back over to Wallace. "Can you give me yours?"

"I'm calling you right now," said Wallace. "Just save the number."

Ash's xtranceiver quietly vibrated against his wrist, before the dark-haired boy added the unknown number as a contact.

"Don't hesitate to call if you need anything," said Wallace.

"You sure?" asked Ash sincerely. "You're the champion of Hoenn. Don't you have more important calls to take?"

Wallace stuffed his pokegear back in his coat pocket, before replying. "Sometimes...but most of the time daily life of a champion is rather dull. You're a friend now. Friends are a higher priority than boring calls concerning business and public relations."

Ash smiled — life over the past couple of weeks had been absolutely crazy. First he'd made friends with one of the most brilliant researchers in the world, Bill Montgomery. Then, without even knowing it, he befriended the champion of a foreign region — Wallace Mikari. And to top it all off, he'd had a casual conversation with the CEO of Silph Co. — Robert Montgomery.

...One thing had definitely been made clear by all of this — without fail, his journey always remained unpredictable_._

"Alright then," responded Ash with a nod. "I'll at least try not to call unless it's important...or if something really cool happens."

"Fair enough," replied Wallace. "Now I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. It's probably about time I head back to my room."

"Same," said Ash.

Ash and Wallace accompanied each other as far as they could, before the routes of their destinations diverged.

"Get some good sleep," said Wallace. "And again, good job today. You should be proud of how you faired in that tournament."

"Thanks," replied Ash. "That means a lot. I'll probably see you sometime tomorrow, right?"

"I'm sure we'll run into each other at some point," said Wallace. "And if you and Austin train tomorrow, let me know. I'd be happy to give you guys some pointers."

"Really?" asked an elated Ash. "That would be awesome!"

"Absolutely," said Wallace. "Just give me a call. My league back home knows that I'm on vacation. They promised not to call unless it's an emergency. So the line should be open. I've got that meeting with Robert in the morning. Other than that I got nothing else going on."

"Tomorrow it is then," answered Ash with an excited nod.

"Tomorrow it is," said Wallace. "Until then, I'm off to my room. I can barely stand I'm so tired."

"See ya Wallace," replied Ash, while re-igniting the walk back to the E Wing.

"Later kid," muttered the champion, heading in a different direction…

On the walk back to his room, the only thing Ash could think about was uniting his head with his pillow. Nothing else seemed to matter.

XXX

Ash woke up in a jolt, after hearing a clamorous crash emitted from amidst the hallway. He could hear the sound of Growlithe's unsettling snarl, coming from the edge of the bed. It was the type of growl that the canine only disembogued when something was askew.

The dark-haired boy frantically flipped the switch that belonged to the lamp atop the nightstand. Upon illumination, Ash discerned Growlithe's demeanor. The hair on the back of the pup's neck was fully erect, signifying his alertness.

"What is it boy?" asked Ash, as he checked the digital clock on the face of his xtranceiver — it read _2:32 a.m._

The puppy pokemon nimbly leaped off of the bed, before darting over to the door. He looked back at his trainer with unrestrained eyes, beckoning him out of bed. The look on Growlithe's face had Ash worried — he'd never seen his friend's countenance this feral.

Ash briskly got dressed, wiping the sleep from his eyes in the process.

"Did something bad happen?" asked Ash. "Should I bring my stuff?

Growlithe hastily nodded, before impatiently scratching the door with one of his forepaws.

"Gotchya," answered Ash, as he quickly gathered his things, making sure to leave nothing in the room that was his. He did a detailed inspection along the side of his trainer belt. No matter the circumstances, the young boy refused to go anywhere without the entirety of his team.

Once Ash had assured himself that everyone was accounted for, he was ready to go. He slowly opened the door, before looking both ways to make sure that the corridor was clear.

"I don't know what's going on," said Ash. "Where are we going?"

The pup used his nose to quickly lead Ash a short distance down the hall. When the lavishly decorated corridor opened up into fork, Growlithe took a swift right, leading Ash sharply around a corner.

That's when he saw it.

Smeared across the wall was a muck of red liquid. It didn't take a forensic scientist to deduce that the scarlet smudge was fresh blood.

"Holy-" blurted Ash, as he simultaneously covered his mouth in attempt to silence his trembling voice. He looked down at Growlithe, who was using his olfactory glands to pick up the scent. Ash's hands remained wrapped around his lips, as he saw the tiny dapple of blood pressed up against the tip of his friend's nose.

Growlithe glanced up at Ash with a perturbed expression, before suddenly darting off down the hall. Ash didn't have time to process. In order to keep up with the canine, he was forced to sprint at full-speed. Hopefully the noise of his lumbering foot-steps didn't disturb anyone's sleep. But considering the circumstances, he didn't really care

The distressed canine led Ash into the E Wing's lobby and out of the lodging zone. It was quiet — the only sound that could be heard was the insipid background music that continuously looped through the ship's radio-caste system. Ash's spine tingled and his skin crawled. Between the fresh splotch of blood, and the empty corridors; his current predicament felt like a scene straight out of a horror film.

The duo passed through the lobby, and into one of the D Wing's multiple entrances. Ash was perplexed that he still hadn't seen a single person. Even though it was the middle of the night, he expected that there would at least me some staff members up and about. The majority of the ship's night life was in wing's A through C. Therefore, it made perfect sense that there weren't any passengers active in the upper wings. However, that didn't change the fact that the _S.S. Anne_ was supposed to be staffed and serviced 24-hours a day. It was one of their main marketing points. The fact that the E and D wing's we're presently vacant was extremely bizarre.

Ash's breathing was beginning to grow heavy. Growlithe had him running at a high-pace, and he had no idea how far the pup was going to take him. They brusquely passed through the D wing's lobby, before coming to an abrupt stop at the edge of the quiescent wing's lodging zone. Ash watched, as his canine began to steadily creep forward, using his eyes to portray to Ash that he was to follow suit.

They moved meticulously — careful not to make any noise. Ash wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he trusted the judgment of his starter. His eyes grew big, as he saw a second helping of fresh blood. This time there was a lot more than a mere splotch; it winded across the slick tile like a serpent, creating a trail to follow. Ash gulped, before whispering a prayer to an unknown higher-power.

The stream of blood swerved down the entirety of an abbreviate hallway, before snaking around a corner, and coming to a sudden stop. The trail ended in front of a door that read: "_employees only_."

Growlithe was about to use his forepaw to scratch on the door, when Ash interjected with a harsh whisper. "Wait!"

The puppy pokemon looked up at Ash with ferocious eyes — anger evident in his disposition. Ash wasn't exactly sure what to think of his pup's behavior.

…It was as if Growlithe already knew what had happened.

"We have no idea what's behind that door," whispered Ash, as he looked at his friend sternly. "We need backup. Something strange is going on aboard this ship."

Growlithe temporarily challenged Ash with his gaze, before eventually conceding with a disappointed huff.

Ash was slightly surprised by Growlithe's stubbornness. The pup had never directly opposed a command before. Even if it was only for a split-second; it was troublesome. If the blood wasn't enough of a sign to prove that something horrific had taken place, Growlithe's intense behavior was. His canine was his most trusted ally. He was the heart of his team — always choosing to lead through loyalty and faithfulness to his trainer. However, right now Growlithe wasn't himself. He had been consumed by worry and malice. Whatever had caused this reaction was more than likely atrocious.

"Come with me," whispered Ash. "I have to make a call."

Despite his reluctance, Growlithe obeyed orders. The puppy pokemon followed his trainer back around the corner and down the hall, moving as scrupulously as possible. Once the lodging hall opened back up into the D Wing's lobby, Ash did a brief scan of his surroundings.

It was still empty.

He led Growlithe passed the front desk, over to the one of the lobby's private bathrooms. The door was heavy and lockable; the perfect place to make a discreet phone call. He walked over to the luxurious restrooms back wall, as far away from the door as possible. He couldn't risk the phone call being listened in on. Especially by an _S.S. Anne_ staff member . Presently, there were way too many signs of some kind of corruption amongst the ship's work crew.

In attempt to calm his pup down; Ash gently stroked the fur behind Growlithe's ears, prior to flipping through the contacts programmed into his xtranceiver. Antecedent to pressing the on-screen call option, he anxiously clicked on the icon corresponding to the number he needed to dial.

The tiny backlit screen read: "_Calling Wallace", _as it began to ring.

"…_Ring."_

"…_Ring."_

"…_Ring."_

Ash cursed under his breath, as he apprehensively feared an ignored phone call. "Dammit! Dammit! Pick up the phone."

"…_Ring."_

"…_Ring."_

"_Click."_

"Ash…is that you?" mumbled the Champion's tired, disembodied voice. "It's nearly three in the morning. Why are you calling me?"

"Thank God you answered. I'm sorry for the inconvenience," muttered Ash quietly. "But there's been an emergency."

Wallace's voice fortified, as he replied. "I'm listening."

"My Growlithe and I came across something extremely worrisome," stuttered Ash. "Can you meet me in the D Wing's lobby? It can't wait. Bring your pokemon."

"...Okay, I'll be there soon," said Wallace.

Ash could hear the evident sound of scrambling through the phone, as Wallace was hastening to get ready.

"Can you explain what's going on?" asked Wallace. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm not," said Ash. "But, someone is."

"Who?" asked Wallace.

"I don't know," said Ash. "Something's going on aboard this ship. My Growlithe and I found a trail of blood in the D Wing's lodging zone."

There was a momentary pause, as Wallace seemingly processed Ash's words.

"I understand. I'm on my way," said Wallace. "Is the lobby clear? Are you sure you're safe to wait there?"

"I'm in one of the lobby's bathrooms with my Growlithe," answered Ash. "The door's locked, so I think I'm safe for now. The entire E and D wings are completely clear of any staff from what I can tell. How far away are you?"

"I see," replied Wallace. "I'm just leaving my room in the C wing. I should be there in a few minutes, so stay where you are."

"Okay."

"I'm going to hang up," said Wallace. "Which bathroom are you in? I'll knock when I'm there."

"The one closest to the front desk," answered Ash.

Ash heard the distinguishable sound of a pokeball release in the background, as Wallace held the phone away from his ear.

"Follow me _Swampert_, something's come up," said Wallace, before directing his voice back towards the pokegear. "Alright, you said bathroom by the front desk, right? See you in a few."

"_Click."_

After the call ended, Ash hit the sleep button on his xtranceiver. He looked down at Growlithe, who was still restless. The pup's eyes were in a vacant daze, as he sat up straight, facing the door.

"Try to relax," murmured Ash. "I made a call to a friend. Whatever's going on aboard this ship, he'll help us sort it out."

Growlithe looked up at Ash with pleading eyes, as his mental state shifted from anger and fear, to solemnness. He quietly whined, while pacing in circles around Ash.

Ash crouched down into a squat, meeting his pup at eye level. He softened his eyes — gently stroking the tuft atop Growlithe's head. As Ash's serene poise rubbed off on him, the canine's countenance seemed to slightly settle by installments. The boy spent the next couple of minutes contemplating what could have caused such an adverse reaction. A loud noise and the smell of blood may be enough to get a member of Growlithe's species riled up. But this was different. It felt more personal. Almost like Growlithe had seen the crime take place, and felt the emotions involved.

His rumination was cut short, when there was a solid knock on the door. Ash was quick to answer, slowly cracking the door open for the champion. The dark-haired boy was relieved to see Wallace. Before a visual, there had been a strong looming thought in the back of his mind — what if someone else was on the other side of the door_? _

It was evident that Wallace had just woken up. His hair was all over the place and his eyes looked tired. His attire was elegant, but slightly less formal. He wore a slim, white dress-shirt with a staggering turquoise design. Wallace's polyester pants were a rich purple, depicting a certain air of royalty.

"Are you alright?" asked Wallace, as Ash and Growlithe filed out of the doorway.

"Yeah I–"

Ash's response was interrupted, as he saw the creature that stood by Wallace's side. It was definitely foreign, unlike anything that he had ever seen. The large, blue, fish-like reptilian stood on its bipedal legs, eyeing Ash with its beady, yellow eyes. The two, semi-circular, black fins on its head flopped back and forth, as it gazed down at Growlithe.

Ash glanced over at his pup, who appeared to be somewhat flustered by the strange pokemon. "It's okay buddy. It's one of the Champion's friends."

"Swampert, try and look a little less intimidating," groaned Wallace, as he lightly smacked the back of its neck. "Ash is our friend."

The pokemon known as Swampert shot its trainer an annoyed grimace, before holding its three fingered hand out to Ash.

The dark-haired boy was slightly dumfounded, while he shook the foreign beast's scaly hand. Swampert muttered something in its native tongue, as it released itself from the handshake. After its hand was free, it leaned over and patted a bewildered Growlithe gently on the head.

"That's better," said Wallace, before changing the subject. "Now Ash, show me where you found the blood."

"Okay…" said Ash, as he took his eyes off of the amazing exotic pokemon. "Follow me."

Accompanied by Growlithe and Swampert, Ash led Wallace across the lobby and over to the D Wing's lodging zone. They moved quietly — careful not to make any significant noise. Ash was astonished by the dexterity of the bulky, assumed to be water-type. Despite its powerful build, it was easily capable of concealing the sound of its movement.

When they neared the site of the blood, Growlithe's nose began to quiver. As they re-approached the scene, Ash could see the ferociousness reignite in his canine's expression. He wondered if maybe the pup's feral behavior was caused by the species' rumored ability to smell emotions. It made sense. If Growlithe was truly capable of picking up an emotion's scent; it was possible that the pup had felt the anguishing feelings akin to the incident. Ash made a mental note to explore this theory sometime in the near future; it may also have something to do with Growlithe's bizarre case of social anxiety.

The fresh blood lied in the same spot as before, coiling through the hallway towards the "_employee's_ _only_" passage.

"Damn...that's a lot of blood," whispered Wallace, as they approached the door. "Ash it's up to you if you want to go any further. I don't want to be held responsible for what you might see. Swampert, prepare for a confrontation — things could get ugly."

The foreign water-type emitted a low, quiet grunt as it nodded its head.

Ash glanced down at Growlithe, who had a look of determination depicted across his face. The dark-haired boy gulped, before conjuring the courage to see this thing through to the end.

"I'll come," said Ash. "Growlithe and I would like to help if we can."

"Alright then," muttered Wallace, while attempting to pry open the locked door. "We can't waste any more time."

"It's locked…" groaned Ash, while rolling his eyes. "How are we going to get in?"

"It's not a problem," said Wallace, as he diverted his attention towards Swampert. "Break the lock quietly with _ice beam_ and _hammer arm."_

Swampert took a deep breath, before emitting a silent, white beam. The temperature in the room temporarily fluctuated, as the frigid emission caused the room to turn cold. It lasted for the blink of an eye, before dwindling away. In wake of the quick-fire _ice beam_ was a medial-sized slab of frozenness. It enshrouded the door's handle — protruding out of the door like a minuscule ice-berg.

"Try not to be loud with the _hammer_ _arm," _commanded Wallace. "Hit it just hard enough to destroy the lock. We want to remain unnoticed for now. The fact that this mess wasn't cleaned up is very strange. Whoever did it obviously isn't worried about covering it up."

Swampert winded back its' right arm, enshrouding it in an orange blanket of energy. Ash could literally feel the power stored within its extremity, while the orange gilled creature swiftly struck the slab of ice. The impact was quieter than Ash would have expected, as the miniature iceberg in addition to the handle and part of the door, were severed from their originally crafted positions.

"Damn," said Ash, as Swampert easily pushed the door open in wake of the aftermath. "That was awesome."

"Yup," replied Wallace, while rubbing his eyes. "Swampert's _ice beam _tends to make most inanimate objects relatively brittle. Under normal circumstances, _hammer arm _would have done the job on its own. However, the volume from that approach would have been an issue."

"Makes sense," whispered Ash. "Are you ready?"

"Of course," answered Wallace with a smirk. "I was about to ask you the same question. Let's go."

Wallace and Swampert entered through the doorway, while Ash and Growlithe followed closely behind. The entrance revealed a long, narrow corridor. The trail of blood snaked its way all the way down the hall, before taking a sharp left turn. It was evident that a body had been dragged; and judging by the sheer amount of blood it was most likely dead. Whether it was human or pokemon was unknown. A lot of the earth's animalistic creatures had the same red-colored blood as the human race.

"Move quietly," whispered Wallace, as they traveled down the hall, while following the smeared scarlet trail. "Keep a look out behind us, Ash."

"Okay," replied Ash quietly, as he looked down to make sure Growlithe was still by his side.

The puppy pokemon glanced up at Ash with dangerous eyes, attempting to portray to his trainer that he was ready for confrontation.

As they approached the point where the trail diverted, Wallace signaled for them to stay put, before covertly glancing around the corner.

"It's clear," said Wallace, as he confidently stepped forward. "Come on let's go."

Ash, Growlithe, and Swampert obediently followed the Champion, while he led them down another hallway. This one was much shorter, quickly revealing another division within the corridor. Just before the hallway veered left, there was a cracked open door.

…In front of the door the trail of blood finally ceased.

In attempt to signal for them to be silent, Wallace placed a single finger up against his lips. He carefully maneuvered around the puddle of blood, placing his ear up against the sliver of open space in between the door and the frame. Behind the door, they could hear a conversation between two men with rough intonations.

Ash followed suit, precariously dodging the blood like it was an explosive in a minefield. He crouched down to the ground, pressing his ear to the crack in order to successfully eavesdrop…

"So according to the executive leader_,_ the plan should have already been completed," said the lower of the two male inflections.

"They were supposed to have the target out of here by _1:45," _replied the other young, rough sounding man. "So unless there were some unforeseen complications, I believe you're right."

"God...this plan's been in the woodworks for so damn long," groaned the deep, scratchy voice.

"It's going to be worth it though," replied the younger of the two voices. "The world's reaction is going to be priceless."

"When they find out that _Team Rocket _is back," said the deeper inflection. "The region is going to breakout into an uproar."

Ash's eyes grew big and his lower lip trembled, at the sound of the infamous name. There wasn't a single soul in Kanto that hadn't heard of the devilish crime-syndicate, known as: _Team Rocket. _Team Rocket was a massive underground organization, whose foundation was rotten to the core. Where their name arises, chaos soon follows. Not much is known about their leadership, or who is amongst their ranks. But, their organization is responsible for several large-scale crimes over the past decade.

…The bombing of Fuchsia City's city hall in, _2005._

_..._The chaotic armed robbery of the _Celadon Department _Store in, _2007._

…The robbery of the Pewter Museum of Science in, _2008._

…In _2010_, there was the abduction of several scientists, stationed at the_ Pokemon Lab _on Cinnabar Island.

And those are just to name a few. Team Rocket's account of tcransgressions, would make a yellow-book look like a travel brochure. Fortunately for the region of Kanto, the organization had remained dormant for the past five years. No one knows why. Some people say that they lost sight of their original goal and therefore disbanded. Others believe that there was fallout amongst their ranks, causing an internal implosion. But most people are convinced that they've been biding their time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

Regardless, one thing was absolutely certain; their presence on this ship was unnerving.

The lower inflection gratingly coughed, before continuing. "Dammit! We've got to do something about this kid's body. The atrocious smell is starting to get to me."

"Just bear with it," replied the other disembodied voice. "We've only got ten minutes until we're supposed to report to deck."

"Do you think we should have cleaned up our mess?" asked the deeper voice. "Don't you think we could get in trouble with the executive if we get caught?"

"Na…it's no big deal," replied the young, raspy inflection. "Besides, we did the woman a favor. The damn squirt was snooping around the ship. If we didn't kill him, who knows what could have happened."

"Well, I know we had to kill him…" said the lower intonation. "But what if someone traces the blood?"

"Eh…whatever," retorted the raspy man. "The ship will be up in flames in thirty minutes anyways."

Ash nearly fell over, as Wallace finally had heard enough. The Champion burst through the door in a fury, confronting the two wicked men.

"What the hell!" shouted the man with the raspy intonation. He looked to be around his mid-twenties. He was relatively thin, and his countenance looked corrupt. You could see the sin oozing through his eyes, as he glared at Wallace.

"Dammit Sid, I knew we should have cleaned up that mess!" bellowed the other Rocket, while reaching for a pokeball that was fastened to his uniform's belt.

The man with the lower inflection was a large, boarder line obese, middle-aged man. After a brief observation, Ash was able to deduce that they both wore the same black jump-suit. Painted across their chests was a big red _"R"_ — recognizable as _Team Rocket's _infamous logo.

"Disarm and constrain, Swampert!" commanded the champion with fire in his eyes. "Try not to cause too much damage, I want to interrogate them.

The exotic water-type barreled into the room, simultaneously firing a lightning-fast barrage of water-guns. They honed in on their targets, destroying the clip in between their pokeballs and trainer belts. The result was a distinct clattering sound, caused by the cluster of metallic spheres colliding with the tile. The impact between the spheres and the ground thankfully didn't result in a release, since the capture devices had yet to be enlarged.

With a violent thrust of its palms, Swampert proceeded to send both of the disgusting humans hurtling towards the wall. Upon impact, he subsequently emanated a flurry of _ice beams_. The temperature in the room, once again dropped for a fraction of a second, as the beams of ice tore through the air. They struck both of the Rockets at four points, binding them to the wall with cuffs of hailstone. The two men lied against the wall — limbs stretched out like a staryu.

As Wallace approached the two men with an unrestrained dogma, Ash noticed the battered body wedged into the corner of the room. He gagged at the sight, barely managing not to throw up — he'd never seen something so abominable. There were multiple lacerations around the abdomen, an evident sign of a stabbing. The young boy was drenched in his own blood, and his eyes were still open portraying an image of hopelessness. How someone could do something like this to a child his age was heinous.

But, unfortunately, the gruesomeness of the sight wasn't the worst part about it.

…The repugnancy of the murder wasn't what caused Ash's stomach to drop and his body to tremor.

He knew him — Ash recognized his face.

It was the boy he'd battled against in the last round of the preliminaries.

It was _Chance Chapman _— the trainer with the promising pidgeotto.

Growlithe scampered over to the boy's body. His whine was solemn, as he sniffed at the pokeballs attached to Chance's belt. There were four red and white spheres fastened around his trainer belt. Ash held his breath, as he pushed through the foul smell of the mangled body. He knew what he had to do. He had to deliver Chance's pokeballs to someone that could properly take care of them, preferably Professor Oak. The Professor's corral was well known for being one of the best domestic pokemon reserves in the region. They would be safe to mourn under the Professor's watch.

Ash glanced over at Growlithe, who nodded his head in approval. The dark-haired boy detached Chance's pokeballs from his belt, before using an untainted part of Chance's jacket to too wipe the blood from the mechanical orbs. He pulled off his backpack, before placing the quartet of pokeballs in one of the middle pockets. The ten-year old boy simultaneously heard the cry of painful sounding grunts behind him, as Wallace interrogated the criminals.

"Come on boy," said Ash, as he stood up from his crouch. "There's nothing else we can do here."

Growlithe murmured, before following Ash over to Wallace and the two shackled Rockets.

"Tell me where the bomb is now!" ordered Wallace, as he punched the heavier of the two Rockets in the gut.

The alto-toned man coughed up blood, as he answered with a barbarous laugh. "Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you — Wallace Mikari."

Wallace responded with another powerful uppercut, before replying. "You must know something!"

The man retorted with another maniacal laugh, as a stream of blood dribbled down his chin. "I do know this. You better start moving if you want to stop this ship from blowing up. The clock's ticking."

"Why is _Team Rocket_ doing this?" asked Wallace vehemently. "What's your motive?"

The man snickered under his breath, before sadistically smiling from ear to ear. "Power; what else is there?"

"I see…" said Wallace, before changing the subject on account of the man's insanity. "I have one more question. I overheard you talking about a target. Who was it?"

The heavyset rocket instantaneously glanced at his younger accomplice, who gave him a smile bearing nod. "I guess it won't bring any harm to the operation. It's already been done anyway. The executive has kidnapped Robert Montgomery — good luck finding him."

Wallace's eyes bulged and his expression contorted, as he grabbed the man by the hair. "Tell me you didn't!"

The masochistic Rocket laughed, while the champion viciously ripped at his scalp.

The skinnier of the two Rockets interjected; his countenance was cold and unembellished. "He's not dead, if that's what you're saying. The executive made it perfectly clear that no one was to harm him — the Boss needs him."

"Boss?" asked Wallace. "Is the Boss different from the executive?"

"The executives are the Boss's most trusted members…" hissed the raspy-toned Rocket. "The_ Boss_ is our leader."

"The Boss, eh?" thought Wallace aloud, as he turned to Ash. "Let's go Ash…we're done here. We've got to get everyone off of this ship. We don't have much time."

"Hold on," pleaded Ash. "I have to know something before we go."

"Very well," muttered Wallace. "But make it quick. Lives are at stake."

Ash directed his attention towards the raspy-toned Rocket, before asking his question. "Why did you kill the kid? Why did you kill Chance?"

"He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time," said the Rocket. "He overheard us talking about the plan."

"So, you killed an innocent kid," answered Ash. "Because he was wandering the halls at the wrong time."

"Pretty much," replied the Rocket known as Sid, while creepily licking his lips. "I also like the sight of blood."

"You monster!" howled Ash, as he threw his fist at the man's face.

Wallace quickly interposed, grasping Ash firmly by the wrist. "Ash, we don't have time for this. We have to go!"

"He killed an innocent kid!"

"And many more will die if we don't hurry!" scolded Wallace. "The _S.S. Anne_ is about to blow! We have to warn the rest of the passengers!"

Ash looked down at Growlithe, who frantically gestured his head towards the door. "Okay. I see your point."

"Alright, so we need to find the ship's intercom system," said Wallace. "Follow me. My guess is that it's in the A Wing."

"Wait…Wallace," said Ash, as he gestured towards the two Rockets. "I know they probably deserve it, but what about them? Are we just going to leave them here?"

Wallace frowned. "I don't like the prospect of leaving anyone to die, but we don't have a choice. We can't let them go free. If they disclose that we have knowledge of the bomb to their associates, they could destroy our chances at saving the rest of the passengers."

"I see what you're saying," replied Ash with a contemplative expression. "But…"

"No buts!" barked Wallace. "Every second we waste is vital! Ash these are the tough decisions you to make, when you've been given the opportunity to make a difference. If we have to let two evil souls perish in order to save thousands, it's really a no brainer. This is the choice we must make!"

Ash gulped, as the two Rocket's fates had been decided. "I understand."

Ash and Growlithe followed Wallace and Swampert out of the room. As they exited the small cabin, they could hear a duet of crazed laughter coming from behind them.

"Remember our names kid — Sid and Jack!" hissed the scrawnier of the two Rockets. "I hope our deaths haunt you for the rest of your life!"

Wallace responded by shutting the door, muting the voice of the psychopathic Rocket. "Don't listen to him, Ash. This one's on me. I made the choice, so let me live with the pain."

Ash didn't know what to say. He simply remained quiet, while Wallace led them down the hall — back towards the entrance. The trail of blood was even more ominous the second time around. Knowing that it belonged to someone he knew, made the experience that much more repugnant. As hard as Ash tried to fight off the intrusive thoughts, he couldn't remove Chance's mangled body from his mind. The blood, the smell, the look of hopelessness in his eyes; he couldn't disintegrate the awful cerebral impressions. His mind had been scarred by the image of a mutilated boy. His psyche had forever been tainted, by his first encounter with pure evil.

Ash looked down at Growlithe, who appeared to be going through a similar mental digestion. The pup had been just as affected as Ash — maybe even more so. If Ash's hypothesis was correct, Growlithe had felt the murder take place with his aromatic awareness. Witnessing a murder and seeing its aftermath, are two entirely different cataclysms. Ash wasn't entirely positive how different the mental affects of witnessing a murder visually or aromatically would be. But, he was sure that Growlithe's trauma was probably worse than his.

"Ash, can you call Austin?" asked Wallace — interrupting the boy's mental assimilation. "We'll probably need his firepower."

"Okay," stuttered Ash, as they passed through the "_employee's only" _door, back into the D Wing's lodging zone. "I'll call him right now."

In search of Austin's pokegear number, Ash flipped through the contacts compiled within his xtranceiver. Once he found it, he quickly pressed dial.

"_Ring…"_

"_Ring…"_

"_Ring…"_

"_Ring…"_

"Click."

"Yes…" griped Austin hazily, as he picked up the phone.

"Austin. It's Ash," said the ten-year old boy. "There's been an emergency. Wallace and I need your help."

"An emergency?" mumbled Austin. "What kind of emergency?"

"Like…this ship's about to blow up in twenty-five minutes kind of emergency," replied Ash. "_Team Rocket's_ on this ship. They kidnapped Robert Montgomery."

"…What the f-!"

Austin's verbal explosion was interrupted by Wallace, as the champion grabbed Ash's wrist in order to talk into the xtranceiver. "Austin it's Wallace. I need you to grab all of your important stuff and meet us in the A Wing's lobby in five minutes. This place has been completely infiltrated by _Team Rocket_. Do not trust anybody on staff. Like Ash said, we only have twenty-five minutes in counting. Grab your pokemon and anything else that's important, hurry!"

Wallace indelicately released Ash's wrist, as he cantered off in a jog. "Ash, Swampert, Growlithe — lets go!"

Ash held his xtranceiver up to his lips, as he followed Wallace at a high-pace. "See you soon man."

"_Click."_

_XXX_

The A Wing wasn't nearly as empty as the upper wings. It was far from busy, but there were still a few active passengers. Ash and Wallace spotted Austin, who was anxiously pacing back and forth by the lobby's unoccupied front desk. Ash watched as the chiseled face teenager's eyes lit up, when he caught a glimpse of them rapidly approaching.

"Ash, what the hell man? You can't tell me that the ship's about to blow up, and then hang up the freaking phone," scolded Austin.

"What else was I supposed to do?" asked Ash. "I don't have time to explain. We've got to get this ship evacuated."

_"_He's right," interrupted Wallace. "Austin, there is no time to argue about anything. Time is ticking as we speak."

"Fair enough," groaned Austin. "What do we have to do to make sure that nobody dies?"

"Well, we need to inform the entire ship of what's going on," explained Wallace. "The fastest way to do that is to use the ship's PA system — which is located in the wheelhouse on the bridge."

"And where's that?" asked Austin.

"In the A Wing," answered Ash. "That's why we're here."

"The A Wing is the biggest part of the ship," stated the young teen, facetiously. "Where in the A Wing are we supposed to go?"

"I know the way," replied Wallace. "My first day aboard the ship, Ariana took me on a tour of the bridge. Follow me."

"Alright," answered the two boys simultaneously. "Let's go."

Wallace led the group through the lobby and passed the A Wing's lodging zone. The A wing's cabins were few and far between, signifying their diminutive selectivity and enormous size. The wing consisted of numerous deluxe penthouses and the ship's casino. It also served as the primary entertainment wing, consisting of the bulk of the ship's night life.

As they neared the edge of the lodging zone, Austin spoke up. "Why don't we try and disarm the bomb?"

"We have no idea where it is," muttered an exhausted Ash, while they entered the A Wing's state of the art casino. "The Rockets we interrogated didn't even know its location."

"Dammit!" cursed Austin. "Wallace, do you really think that we'll be able to get everyone off?"

"It's hard to say," huffed Wallace, as they sprinted through the casino. "All we can do is try our best!"

In response to their haste, the squadron of five got several confused stares from the gambling passengers.

"Why aren't we informing the people that we're passing by?" asked Austin. "Wouldn't it save us time?"

"Not necessarily," answered Wallace. "People are skeptical. In order to ensure that they'll take the alert seriously, we need to do whatever we can to deliver the message in a credible way. The only people with access to the ship's intercom system is the Captain and the Cruise Director. The passengers are much more likely to listen if the message is delivered through the system."

Ash checked both of his peripherals. To his right was Growlithe. The puppy pokemon looked to be holding up well. Ash wasn't surprised; his starter's endurance training had been rigorous over the passed month. To his left was Wallace's Swampert. The foreign water-type didn't even seem phased by the long-distance lope — which was to be expectant of a Champion's pokemon.

However, Ash himself was feeling the throes of exhaustion. And after taking one good look at Wallace, he could tell that the champion was as well. The grind of pushing their bodies to the limit for an extended period of time was starting to wear on them. Wallace wasn't nearly as tired as Ash, though. The champion's mature body, and evident proof of physical conditioning, had him prepared for times like this. Ash, on the other hand, was merely ten years old. His body was premature and fragile — years away from its physical prime. Right now, there wasn't all that much Ash could do other than persevere through the strain.

When they reached the other side of the casino the A Wing opened up into a second antechamber. This lobby appeared to be much more bent towards entertainment based guest services. It was busier than the other lobbies they had passed through — which was expectant of the A Wing. Ash noticed that the people appeared to be peeved by the delay of service. The front desk was once again unoccupied — which didn't come as a surprise. If what the two Rockets from the D Wing said was true, the majority of the Rocket infested staff was probably reporting to deck in order to escape the explosion.

After jogging through the lobby, they followed Wallace into a narrow, abbreviate corridor.

"Are we almost there?" asked Ash, while breathing heavily.

"It's right up ahead," stated Wallace, as they approached another, _employee's only, _door.

Upon advent, Wallace swiftly reached out and pulled on the door's handle. Surprisingly, it was unlocked — which saved them a considerable amount of time. The champion swung open the heavy door, before hastily signaling the rest of them through.

"Keep your eyes peeled," warned Wallace. "Now might be a good time to release a pokemon, Austin."

"Gotchya," answered the teenager, as they trotted down the corridor.

The messy haired teen unclipped a pokeball from his belt, before pressing down the release button. In a flash of incandescent, white light a powerful looking golduck was revealed. It momentarily paused — confused by its current whereabouts.

"There's been an emergency!" explained Austin. "Follow us! Be prepared for battle!"

The blue, bipedal, duck-like pokemon accepted the command with engaged eyes, as it cantered alongside its trainer. It cracked open its' long, cream-colored beak and used one of its sharp, webbed claws to tap the red jewel embedded into its forehead. In concurrence with the tap, a wide, purple-tinted light encompassed their surroundings. Ash recognized the technique as _light_ _screen — _a status move that helps protect against elemental attacks.

"Good thinking, Golduck!" praised Austin, as they turned around a sharp corner. "That'll give us protection from unwarranted projectiles."

"Hopefully we won't need it," stated Wallace, as they neared a door at the end of the corridor. "This is the passage to the wheelhouse. The intercom should be in here."

The champion heaved open the door, antecedent to instantaneously dashing to the right of the embellished room. Ash's eyes bulged, as a flurry of purple coated needles, were fired at the door like a round of ammunition poured fourth from a tommy gun.

"Swampert, intercept!" commanded Wallace.

The foreign water-type rushed forward, using all four of its limbs to quickly cover ground. It gaped open its mouth, before unloading an enormous, hard-packed ball of mud at the enfilade of toxic needles. It caused a muculent explosion — filth flew everywhere in response to the collision, temporarily obscuring everyone's vision of the room.

Ash quickly turned to Austin. "Did you see its source?"

"No...I didn't," answered Austin. "But that was a flurry of poison stings. It's got to be some kind of poison-type."

"Must be…" muttered Ash, as he looked down at his fuming fire-type.

"Good thing you put up that _light screen," _said Austin, to his golduck. "It kept all of us squeaky clea-."

Austin's doltish statement was interrupted by a charged up Ash.

"I see it!" howled the ten-year old boy, as a vehement cobra pokemon unveiled itself. "It's an arbok!"

Behind the purple-scaled, serpentine pokemon., Ash could see the form of its trainer. The creepy looking man that commanded the fully-evolved arbok wore the same black jump suit as the Rockets from the D Wing. Furthermore, his weasel-like countenance was familiar. Ash recognized him. He was the man that had signed him up for the tournament on his first day aboard the ship — Reid.

Wallace sprinted back over to the boys, who both stared ahead at the creepy Rocket. "You two, do you see the intercom system over there?"

Ash examined Wallace, who was pointing towards the right side of the room. The right half of the wheelhouse served as the ship's command center. Pushed up against a fiber-glass wall, was a gangling counter that bore all kinds of buttons and controls. Through the transparent wall, you could see the bridge-deck and the eerie, black ocean. The only light that could be seen was the reflection of the stars — which was about to alter, on account of the explosive fire that would engulf the _S.S. Anne_ in less than twenty minutes.

"I don't see it," blurted Austin. "There's way to much crap over there to single anything out."

"Is that it?" asked Ash, as he pointed at a small, radio-like device, situated to the right of the annular steering wheel.

"Yes!" shouted Wallace. "Go make the announcement! I'll take care of the Rocket!"

"What should I do?" asked Austin anxiously.

Wallace pointed over to the other side of the room, while Swampert fired another mud bomb in order to fend off a second barrage of poison stings. "Go check if they're alive!"

Before Ash headed over to the intercom system, he glanced over at the left side of the wheelhouse. Pushed up against the wall were two limp bodies. The idle men wore proper navy-blue captain's attire — their formal hats lied a few feet from their bodies, stained by scarlet-red blood.

"Dammit!" yelled Austin. "I didn't notice them until now! Let's go check on em Golduck!"

Ash watched the duo canter off towards the two bodies, before following his orders. "Come on Growlithe! We've got to hurry!"

As Ash turned his body from the action, he could hear the sound of Reid's arbok shriek in agony. Judging by the tremendous upward shift in temperature, it was obvious that Swampert was burning the poison-type with some sort of high-temperature technique. On account of Swampert's typing, the Champion-level specimen was most likely using scald, or some sort of variation of the boiling technique.

Once the ten-year old boy reached the control panel, he examined the intercom system. It consisted of a protruding microphone that was planted into the control panel; in addition to a speaker and a custom dial pad. The dial pad consisted of numerous buttons — all corresponding to different parts of the ship. However, Ash was only interested in one. Situated in the top right-hand corner of the dial pad was a button that read: "_PA" (Public Address)_

Ash wasted no time — proceeding to hit the "on" button in the top-left corner, before pressing the "PA" button in the top-right. He cleared his throat away from the microphone, in precedence to speaking into the metallic, oval-shaped device.

"Attention passengers aboard the _S.S. Anne_!" bellowed Ash in the lowest intonation he could muster. "There's been a Team Rocket infiltration aboard the ship! They have armed a bomb that's set to explode in fifteen minutes! Grab only your most prized possessions and report to deck! Trainers that can escape by either flying-type, or water-type, go ahead! Bring others if possible! There are lifeboats on deck! Time is ticking! This is not a drill! Hurry! I repeat this is not a drill!"

As Ash put the microphone back down, he could hear the sound of his voice echo throughout the ship's PA system. For good measure, he proceeded to look for some type of emergency button. On the far left side of the control panel was a protruding glass box. Inside of the protective barrier was a thick, red button. Underneath the button read: "_Emergency Alert Siren"._

Before swinging open the glass box, the ten-year old boy hastily undid the latch on the side of the protective barrier. While Wallace barked his next command, he could feel the sudden temperature drop in the room, most likely caused by _ice beam_. Ash used his palm to briskly press down the emergency siren's trigger. In subsequence to pressing the thick, red button; a loud, blustering alarm was disembogued through the PA system. Ash fought off the urge to cover his ears, as he turned around to check out the scene behind him.

The initially minacious arbok was frozen in a massive block of ice. Its eyes looked vacant, as it was hoisted vertically in an icebound comatose. Its trainer, Reid, was bound by hailstone to one of the solid walls — similar to how Jack and Sid were constrained in the D Wing. A flush faced Austin stood next to an enraged Wallace, who was trying to extract information from the masochistic Rocket. Golduck and Swampert stood on both sides of Reid — ready to receive commands from their trainers. While checking the time on his xtranceiver, the ten-year old boy, accompanied by Growlithe, subsequently loped over to the intense interrogation.

"Where did you take Mr. Montgomery?" asked a fumed Wallace, as he grabbed Reid by his insidious face.

Reid laughed like a gengar, before curtly replying. "That's for you to figure out, Champion."

Wallace squeezed Reid's face even tighter, while depicting an ominous disposition of his own. "Dammit! Just tell me!"

"You couldn't get me to talk if you boiled me alive," said Reid. "Team Rockets been trained for situations like this."

Wallace's expression turned even darker, as he looked at Reid with cold, knife-like eyes. "Why don't we find out for sure, Swampert scal-!"

"Don't!" yelled Austin. "I've seen enough death today!"

Ash instantly glanced over to the far side of the room. The two captain's bodies were still and turned over. From his vantage point, the dark-haired boy could see the massive gashes in the back of their heads. They were dead — killed by two heavy blows to the head.

Ash quickly chimed back into the action. Chance Chapman's murder had already begun to take effect on his psyche, numbing his response to the morbid tragedy.

"Austin's right!" howled Ash. "Wallace we've got to get up to the main deck. People are going to need help getting off. Let's go!"

Wallace forcefully shook himself out of his enraged trance, as Ash's words got through to him. "You're right, let's go. Besides, I have an idea of where they took Robert. Follow me. We can get up to the deck through here."

The champion left Reid frozen to the wall, antecedent to cantering over to a door adjacent to the ship's control panel. Amidst all of the chaos, Ash had failed to notice the steel passage anteriorly to the present moment. On account of the fiber-glass wall, you could tell that the heavy-looking steel door led out to the bridge-deck. Ash, Austin, and their pokemon frantically followed Wallace through the doorway. Upon exit, the dark-haired boy simultaneously saw the reflection of Reid, who was sadistically snickering in the background…

The rapid wind was frigid atop the exterior bridge-deck. Ash tightened the straps to his backpack and held on to his cap firmly, as Wallace directed them towards a short ladder. It was bolted onto a solid, steel wall — adjacent to the transparent fiber-glass. They could hear the ominous sound of frantic passengers, as they promptly climbed up the ladder to the main deck. Much to Growlithe's displeasure, Swampert carried him up the ladder with one of his giant hands, while using the other to grapple up.

The _S.S. Anne's_ primary deck was in a state of utter confusion, as thousands of people looked for a way off of the ship. Uncorrupt sailor's were lowering lifeboats full of people, impressing Ash by their sheer quickness to report to duty. Their encompassing field of vision was full to the brim with trainers mounting large flying-types; while the sea was clustered with water-types capable of transportation.

Ash looked hard, but he didn't see any Rockets. Chances are they had already evacuated the ship…

To his left, Ash saw about a dozen people clinging onto the scales of a momentous sea-serpent. The Gyarados roared, as it treaded on top of the water. Grasping onto the blue, dragon-like scales along the base of its neck was the pretty-faced girl that placed second in the S.S. Anne's tournament. She commanded the beast with grace, proving herself to be a trainer with a formidable presence.

…It was well know that any trainer that could keep a Gyarados under their control had a considerable amount skill.

To his right, Ash watched a decent-sized pidgeot take off from the deck. Despite the evident strain, it managed to carry three people on its back. The ten-year old boy recognized the lead trainer riding the pidgeot. She was the girl that had placed fourth in the tournament — Alexia Fuller. Alexia's strong pidgeot reminded him of the state of his pidgeotto. The bird was unconscious on account of his battle against Austin's fearow. Pidgeotto wouldn't be an available escape option.

"I don't have a way off the ship," said Ash. "My pidgeotto still hasn't recovered, and I don't have a water-type capable of long-distance transportation."

"Don't worry, I've got you covered," replied Wallace. "How much time do we have left?"

Ash checked the digital clock on the face of his xtranceiver, before answering. "Approximately ten minutes."

"Austin — you have a ride, right?" asked Wallace.

"Yeah, I've got Fearow," answered the chiseled face teen.

"How many people do you think it can carry?" asked Wallace. "It seemed like a strong flyer when you battled Ash.

"Eh…Fearow can probably manage two more," answered Austin. "That is, depending on the size of the other passengers."

"Do you think Fearow can make it to Lavender Town?" asked Wallace. "It should be relatively close."

"Probably," answered Austin, while pointing to Ash's xtranceiver. "Ash, does that thing have a map?"

"Yeah, hold on," answered Ash, as he fired up the high-tech GPS on his xtranceiver. "Let's see...I just gotta plug in Lavender Town, and…Here it is!"

"Let me see it."

Austin grabbed Ash's wrist, as he looked at the small digital map on the apparatuses face. "This thing says Lavender Town's coast is about two-hundred miles from here. Fearow can easily fly that."

"Splendid," replied Wallace with a smile. "Go find a couple more people to take with you and get out of here. Ash and I will meet you at Lavender Town's Pokemon Center as soon as possible."

"Deal!" exclaimed the messy haired teen, as he cantered off into the skirmish. "Don't mess around too much! I'd like to see you guys again!"

"We'll be right behind you!" yelled Wallace, as he appeared to be mulling something over in his head.

Ash watched Austin curtly grab a couple of confused bystanders, before releasing his feral flying-type. In the blink of an eye, the chiseled faced teen had the two befuddled passengers hanging onto Fearow for dear life, while they hastily took off into the night sky.

"How much time now, Ash?" asked Wallace once again, as the amount of crazed passengers rapidly diminished.

Ash checked his xtranceiver once again, while his heart began to pound and his palms started to sweat. "Seven minutes."

"Alright," said Wallace. "I should be able to get everyone else off of here; I just need get everybody's attention."

"There's at least a thousand people left up here!" howled Ash. "How are you going to manage that?"

"Watch," answered Wallace, as he unclipped two pokeballs from his trainer belt.

The champion proceeded to stand at the edge of the ship's railing, as he pressed both release buttons. He aimed the far-reaching, bulky streams of light at the black body of water, before turning his head back to Ash. "Meet our rides…"

The entire ship swayed back and fourth, as the two gargantuan water-types emerged from the depths of the sea. The duo was of the same species — but varied in color. The sheer immensity between both colossal beings was otherworldly. Ash recognized them from his pre-requisite studies: Wailord…the float whale pokemon.

"Use surf to raise your water level!" howled Wallace. "Bring your backs up to deck level! There are quite a lot of people that we need to get off of this ship!"

Ash watched, while the two fifty-foot whales emanated a loud, deep, horn-like sound — before steadily rising up about forty-feet to evenly reach the deck. From a point blank vantage point, Ash was able to descry each wailord's features. Both were identical in thickness and length. The only difference lied in their color schemes. One had a blue posterior, while the other had a phlox-purple posterior.

Ash was unable to see their underbellies. But based off of his pre-knowledge of the foreign species, he was positive that the non-mutated wailord had a tan bottom half. Outside of the dragonite he met at Bill's lighthouse, Ash had zero knowledge of the distinct color-schemes of shiny pokemon. However, based off of the purple wailord's visible, off-white colored mouth it most likely had a tan underbelly, just like the blue specimen.

Wallace subsequently hopped onto the head of the non-mutated wailord, before gesturing Ash over. The dark-haired boy wasted no time. He quickly climbed up and over the deck's railing, before leaping onto the same wailord that Wallace embarked on. Once Ash was safely atop the bouncy, blue wailord; Wallace began to gesture over the rest of the curious, terror-stricken passengers.

"Jump on!" yelled Wallace, as the frenzied passengers flooded atop both wailords. "We're running out of time, hurry!"

"Ash, how much time do we have left?" asked Wallace one last time, as the ten-year old boy watched the conflux of panicked people embark on the giant water-types.

Ash compliantly looked down at his xtranceiver. "Four minutes…"

"Let's go people!" bellowed Wallace, in response to the update. "Faster! Come on!"

Ash continued to sweat nervously, while he heard all sorts of anxious outcries disembogued by the panicked crowd:

"_Godsend!"_

"_There's no more time!"_

_"We've got to get out of here!"_

"_Leave the rest, otherwise we'll all die!"_

"_I don't want to die!"_

"_Don't let me die here!"_

"_Please. Please. Please. Please. God!"_

The dark-haired boy carefully watched his xtranceiver — which read that they had _two minutes_— as the last of the passengers climbed over the deck. Ash picked up Growlithe, who was way too preoccupied by their current circumstances to react anxiously to the mass of people.

"Wallace, we have to go!" screamed Ash at the top of his lungs. "There's no more time! It's going to blow!"

"…Pido! Dreca!" bellowed Wallace, amidst the sea of people. "Get us out of here!"

Both Wailords emitted a low, alto-toned, horn-like sound, before slowly starting to drift away from the ship. The multitude of people began to get antsy, as the wailords gradually put distance between themselves and the S.S. _Anne_.

"We need to go faster!" yelled Ash, as his xtranceiver read that they had a minute left.

"Don't worry," said Wallace. "They've got to feel it out first. They're carrying a lot of people. Pido and Dreca are figuring out how much speed they can afford to accumulate, without losing passengers. Besides, unless the bombs nuclear, we should almost be out of its range."

Just as Wallace promised, they promptly started to speed up by installments. Every few seconds, Ash felt like he could externally feel the increase in velocity, as it pressed up against his face by means of wind. At this point, Ash figured they were probably outside of the bombs scope. The dark-haired boy looked around at his surroundings; different people coped in different ways. Some curled up into a ball; others stood tall. Some closed their eyes; others didn't even blink. Some people shook; while others remained still. Some cowered in fear; while others depicted courage…

At the moment of the explosion, Ash had to cover his ears and close his eyes. The roar of the detonation was louder than anything he'd ever heard. His ear drums nearly ruptured from the sheer volume put forth. The atmosphere itself seemed to catch fire, as the bomb lit up the sky like the sun illuminates the galaxy. He could feel the heat emanating from the catastrophe, but it wasn't overbearing — signifying that they had cleared the eruptions range. When the heat settled, and the detonation silenced, Ash uncovered his sensory receptors.

The calamity was evident. The _S.S. Anne_ was no more. The ship that had endured fifty years of safe travel had finally failed — defeated by an external source of evil. All that was left was an unrecognizable mass of flaming steel. Ash's psyche was instantly intruded by the faces of the dead rockets. The three agents of destruction took their last breath amidst the wreckage.

He coped with his disturbed mind by looking down at Growlithe, whose eyes were disoriented. Ash figured it was hard for the fire-type to watch his natural element used for such a calamitous purpose.

Ash glanced over at Wallace with perturbed eyes — the champion looked back at the dark-haired boy and Growlithe with a thankful expression.

"If it weren't for you two," confessed Wallace. "Everyone here would have died, including myself."

"No," said Ash. "We saved everyone together."

"I wouldn't have even known there was a bomb, if it weren't for you and Growlithe," answered Wallace. "I owe you my life."

"You don't owe me anything," answered Ash. "I was just in the right place at the right time."

"Fate wanted you there," answered Wallace, while emitting a massive sigh of relief. "Damn…I feel like I can breathe again."

Ash thought Wallace's statement over for a brief moment, before answering. "Fate is a strange thing..."

Their conversation was cut short by the eruption of the cheerful passengers. Ash turned around to watch, as the people celebrated the survival of their near-death experience.

"So many lives preserved…" drawled Wallace, as he rubbed the back of Swampert's fin.

"So many lives almost lost," answered Ash with clenched fists. "Because of _Team Rocket_…"

"Focus on the good for now," replied Wallace. "We'll worry about the return of _Team Rocket_ tomorrow."

There was a brief moment of silence, before Ash severed it.

"So...we're headed for Lavender Town," answered Ash. "Why?"

"Well, its close," said Wallace.

"Fuchsia City can't be that much farther?" questioned Ash, skeptically. "Doesn't it make more sense to drop all of these people off at a major city?"

"I have my reasons," said Wallace with a smirk.

"And your reasons are…? Ash asked curiously.

"Lavender Town's closer to Saffron than Fuchsia," answered Wallace.

"Why does that matter?" asked Ash with a raised eyebrow.

"It matters... because _Saffron_ is where _Team Rocket_ is taking Mr. Montgomery."

Ash scoffed. "But that would mean-"

"Exactly," interrupted Wallace stoically. "Their target is _Silph Co_."

"But…why?"

"Because there's something at _Silph Co. _headquarters that they want," answered Wallace. "And they need Robert to get to it."

"What are they looking for?" asked Ash conspicuously.

"If I tell you…you have to promise not to tell a soul," answered Wallace sternly. "It's top secret information."

"I promise," answered Ash, as the wind of travel smacked against his face. "My lips are sealed."

"Very well," said Wallace, before continuing.

"Mr. Montgomery developed a new capture device," enlightened Wallace with a frown. "It's called the _master ball."_

"_..._The master ball?"

XXX

To be continued…

XXX

A/N:

Well there you have it: chapter 4. This chapter was super challenging to write, but also extremely fun. I know I got great feedback on chapter 3, but I felt like it was mostly adventure and lacked battles and action. So, although my plan from the beginning was to have the S.S. Anne tournament, I wrote out a lot more of the battles than I originally intended as a way to apologize. Hopefully, they remained interesting. The last two scenes really brought out the dark side of _Essence_. If you can't tell already my pokemon world is a lot more realistic than the series. A world with so many people and so many pokemon cannot exist without darkness. Unfortunately, the human race is corrupt. No one's perfect, and everyone has their dark spots. That's something that I want to explore in this story. Also, Wallace has been a character I've had big plans for since the beginning of my story. I really wanted to explore Hoenn's champion, and also wanted to expose Ash to foreign pokemon early on — even though I have no plans to have him capture one in the Kanto Arc, albeit maybe a Johto pokemon. Well anyway thanks for reading. Don't forget to review. Next chapter may be a bit shorter. My goal for every month is to release between 25,000 and 35,000 words. This chapter exceeded 40,000, but the S.S. Anne is something that needs to truly be fleshed out in order to work right. I hope you liked my interpretation. I'm changing the release date to the 13th every month. It was my fault for releasing a day early last month. I'm not going to make you wait longer on a chapter for my own convenience, even if it's only an extra day. It's been a month since my last update, so I'm updating today. tune back in on July 13 for chapter 5.

Much Love, _vincentgrey21_


	5. Kanto 5

Kanto 5: Essence

"_Ring_…"

"_Ring_…"

"_Ring_…"

"I've got to take this..." said Ash as he and Austin sat in the Pokemon Center's shoddy waiting room, "It's my mom."

"_Psht_…good luck," replied Austin, "the conversation I had with my mom didn't go over so well."

"Hopefully, I'll have better luck then," muttered Ash before standing up and plodding over to an even more remote part of the already quiet lobby.

"_Click_..."

Austin gave Ash a dopey, double thumbs-up while the dark-haired boy nervously answered his xtranceiver, "Hi, Mom..."

He heard a massive sigh of relief emitted through the speaker before his mother replied, "Oh my God…Thank goodness you're alright! I just saw the news report! Honey, what happened?"

Morbid images of lifeless bodies, convulsive fires, and ruinous debris grated against his psyche as he recalled the abhorrent memories of the dark, early morning.

"It's hard to explain," Ash lied, "It all happened so fast."

Truth is, he could recollect every waking moment of the calamity: Growlithe's ferocious eyes, the trail blood, Chance's deceased body, the Rockets he'd left for dead, the Champion's courage, the information on Robert Montgomery's kidnapping, Wallace's outrage, and Pido and Dreca's immensity. Not to mention the news of the Master Ball, and their plans to protect it…

...But, he couldn't share any of that with his mother. She wouldn't understand. He'd have to keep the information he disclosed to her relatively surface-level.

His journey had taken a turn. He'd been exposed to things that no child his age should see. The boy's innocence had been stolen by the corrupt organization—Team Rocket. Sure, he would heal. Time would dull the damage done to his adolescent mind. His love and dedication to his pokemon remained untainted. Ash's character was still intact, but, that didn't change what he saw. Fate had unveiled to him what true evil looks like. He was no longer oblivious to the perversion that this world can spew out of its darkest corners.

"Are you okay?" asked his Mom, "Can you talk to me about it?"

Ash could feel his suppressed emotions begin to stir like a shaken soda can as his mother's voice reverberated through the tiny device.

"I-I d-don't know what to say," stuttered Ash, "we got off just in time. A second later and I would have been killed."

There was a momentary pause before his mother finally answered.

"...Ash," bemoaned his mother, weariness evident in her voice, "…do you love being a pokemon trainer?"

"O-of course I do," stammered Ash as he willed the formulating tears from surfacing. "Y-You know that, Mom. W-why would you ask me that?"

"…Are you positive?"

"Yes, I'm positive," answered Ash after regaining control over his speech, "Now, please, tell me. Why would you ask me that?"

"Well, because…if you would have given me a wish-washy answer," said Delia, "I don't think I could justify to myself why I'm letting you do this."

"Do what?"

"What you're doing," answered his mother emotionally, "Ash, the world we live in is a dangerous place. Over the past month and a half, I've been stretched further than I've ever been stretched before. It's not easy letting you travel alone, especially when crazy stuff like what just occurred happens. The only reason I'm not dragging your butt home is that I'd be ripping away your dreams in the process. Ash, you mean the world to me…if I would have lost you today, I don't know what I would do."

Tears welled up in his eyes as his mother's words breached his emotional defense. "I know, Mom, I know. And I'm so sorry that I'm putting you through that. It's just…well, it's just that I'm not alone. I have my pokemon with me; don't forget that. What happened today was unpreventable. The SS _Anne_ was supposed to be safe."

"But it wasn't safe!" replied his mother with conviction, "That's exactly my point. The world we live in is unpredictable. I have no idea what kind of daily challenges you're going to face. And it's impossible for me to protect you from so far away."

"Mom…" Ash mumbled, "that's one of the reasons I have my pokemon. They can protect me."

"But, what happens if you run into something like the SS _Anne_ again?" blurted his mom, "what happens if you're caught off guard?"

There was a brief break in conversation as Ash thought of an appropriate response.

"Then I'll just have to train my pokemon so that they're always on guard," answered Ash, "Even when I'm not."

His mother stumbled over her words as she replied, "B-but, Ash, how are you going to do that?"

"Mom, I've already built a team with a unique knack for sensing danger," said Ash, "I'll just have to rely on the growth of their senses as they mature."

In response to Ash's words, his mom put forth a disoriented laugh amidst her worried inflection. "You sure have a lot of confidence in your pokemon, young man. Maybe it would help if I got a chance to meet them."

"I don't know how we could do that any time soon," said Ash, "Unless…you came and visited me."

"Hmm…that's a viable option," answered his mother, "I'll have to look into it."

"Until then, do you think you can trust my pokemon and I to make do?"

"I don't think I have much of a choice," stated his mother dubiously. "Honey, just don't be reckless. I know you couldn't have avoided what happened to the SS _Anne_. But you can avoid things that you know are risky, right?"

It killed Ash to be unable to comply, but he didn't have much of a choice. That was a promise that he couldn't keep. After what he'd seen aboard the SS _Anne_, he couldn't just sit around and do nothing. He had gotten himself wrapped up into something bigger than himself, and he had already made the decision to help thwart Team Rocket's unclear plot of evil involving Silph Co...

"I'll try, Mom," said Ash, "but like you said, the world is unpredictable."

Before his mother retorted, he heard an exasperated sigh of frustration echo out of the device. "Ashy, are you using my words against me?"

"…Maybe."

"That's not fair," huffed his mom, "but I guess I should just be happy that you acknowledge the danger of your travels. A trainers' biggest downfall is their misguided sense of invulnerability."

The concept of mortality was a point that Professor Oak had instilled in Ash and Gary from the very beginning of their studies. Ash knew that he wasn't invincible. He knew that he had limits. He was a ten-year-old boy in a hazardous world. The dark-haired boy understood that he was only as safe as his pokemon were strong. That's one of the reasons why he intended to raise beasts. Even more than before, the incident aboard the SS _Anne_ unveiled something to him. Training his pokemon to their potential was no longer just a goal; it was a necessity.

For Ash to be able to travel with complete confidence, he needed to get stronger. Before the SS _Anne_, he was training for potential and goals. They were still a great driving force in his dedication to his pokemon, but now he had another reason. Survival: one of the most fundamental aspects of life. Like his mother said, the world is unpredictable. The only way to beat unpredictability is preparation…

"You're right," answered Ash after taking a big breath. "I know my limits."

"Just remember, Ash, you can be whatever you want to be. You can grow as strong as you want to grow," promised his mom, "but right now you're ten, and you just started your journey. Please don't get in over your head."

"Like I said earlier, I'll try," replied Ash.

"Please do…" implored Delia with emotion behind her words. "It would help me sleep better at night."

"Alright," Ash lied guiltily, "I will."

"Good," answered his mother in a slightly cheerier voice, "I'm glad."

A couple of minutes passed by as they engaged in small talk. The conversation mostly involved daily matters such as food, clothing, hygiene and money. He thought about telling his mother about the prizes he'd earned for placing third in the SS _Anne's_ tournament, but he decided against it. He didn't want to initiate anymore conversation surrounding the sunken ship.

"Well, I've got to get going. Is there anything else you want to talk about?"

"There was something…" mumbled his mom, "but I'm having a tough time remembering what it was."

"Do you want me to wait until you remem—"

"Got it!" interrupted his mom before her voice turned solemn, "The news report said that Robert Montgomery was amongst the missing persons' list. Have you talked to Bill? Is he okay?"

Ash covered the speaker on his xtranceiver as he cursed under his breath. He'd completely forgotten about Bill. He was so caught up in trying to figure out a way to rescue Mr. Montgomery that he had mentally lapsed over his friend who, probably, thought his father was dead.

News had yet to get out that Team Rocket was responsible for the bomb. The public was aware that there had been a terrorist attack—but no one other than himself, Wallace, and Austin knew of the perpetrators. That would probably change soon. Going off of what the Rockets they encountered said, Team Rocket wanted the credit for the assailment. But, they would most likely wait until they made their next move. Having Mr. Montgomery counted as dead was to their benefit until they got their hands on the Master Ball.

Moreover; Ash, Austin, and Wallace were forced to keep their mouths shut. Team Rocket was aware that somebody had found out about the bomb on account of the fact that thousands of people had survived the explosion. However, there was no way for them to know who was aware of their plot to steal the Master Ball or if anyone was at all. Therefore, their advantage existed within the realm of surprise. Team Rocket's plan to steal the Master Ball, as far as they knew, was an absolute secret. It was Wallace's idea to keep it that way. If the wrong source gained knowledge that they were aware of Team Rocket's plot, it could ruin their chance of saving Mr. Montgomery…

"I haven't had a chance to call him yet," answered Ash, "I will as soon as our conversation is over."

"Honey, you need to call him as soon as possible," replied Delia. "He's probably in pretty bad shape. He could use a friend's support."

"Alright, I will," promised Ash, "I'll talk to you later, Mom. Please, stop worrying so much. I'll be just fine."

"I'll try, Ashy…" said his mom with a sigh.

"Talk to you soon. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"_Click_."

"Damn, that sounded like a rough one!" blurted Austin as Ash approached his teenage friend.

The dark-haired boy unloaded himself into one of the Pokemon Center's uncomfortable chairs while releasing a heavy sigh. "It definitely was…"

"Don't worry, though," said Austin, "I've done this thing thousands of times. She'll get over it. At the end of the day, you picked up. Just make sure you always do; it's the best way to get them to stop worrying so much."

"Yeah," replied Ash with a huff, "that makes sense."

The chiseled faced teen changed the subject, obviously trying to get Ash's mind off of the guilt involving his mother's heartache. "So, where are we supposed to meet Wallace again?"

Ash caught onto Austin's scheme, but decided to fall prey to it. It was a kind gesture, and the distraction would most likely help. "He wants us to meet him at the Pokemart in an hour. He's still arranging transportation options for the rest of the SS _Anne_ escapees."

"Oh, right," drawled Austin, "he wants us to stock up on supplies before we head out to Saffron City."

"Yup," said Ash, "too bad we don't have more time. I would have liked to explore Lavender Town a little more."

"Screw that, why?" asked Austin incredulously. "There's nothing here but sketchy suburbs, the crappy radio spire, and that dreadful Pokemon Tower."

To be honest, Ash didn't really know all that much about Lavender Town. He'd heard stories about it being infested with ghost pokemon, but he wasn't sure. Ghosts were a peculiar phenomenon. They usually couldn't be found unless they wanted to be. Silph Co. had developed a product called the Silph Scope—which was supposed to aide trainers that wanted to hunt down a specimen by tracking their spectral essence. But, they were an extremely high-end product that cost thousands of dollars to develop and even more to purchase.

However, that didn't change his desire to train a ghost of his own. A gastly would be the perfect pokemon to battle Sabrina with—and because of the SS _Anne_, he visited Lavender Town way earlier than he'd originally anticipated. Unfortunately, without a Silph Scope and a lack of knowledge of the ghost pokemons' whereabouts, he likely didn't have the time to hunt one down.

"Eh, it would have been nice to catch a ghost," said Ash, disappointingly. "My next gym battle's against Sabrina. Right now, I don't have a single pokemon with an advantage."

"Um, well, why don't you catch one then?" asked Austin matter-of-factly.

"Because we don't have time for that," answered Ash, "we've got to save Mr. Montgomery."

"Then we'll make time," said Austin. "It's gonna take a few days to get to Saffron anyway. Wallace and I can go on ahead. You can just catch up on your pidgeotto as soon as you're done."

Ash mulled it over, "That still doesn't change the fact that I don't have a silph scope."

"You don't need one," answered Austin candidly, "you've got everything you need to track one down."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Ghosts aren't exactly my forte," said Austin, "but I have a friend that caught a gastly back when I was traveling Kanto, and he definitely didn't have the kind of cash needed to buy a silph scope."

Ash leaned forward curiously, "If he didn't use a silph scope, how—"

"He has an arcanine," interrupted Austin with a smirk. "Well, at the time, I guess it was a growlithe."

Ash listened attentively while Austin raised a question.

"What's one technique the growlithe species naturally learns that no other pokemon in Kanto has in their learnset?"

Ash's eyes lit up as he instantly knew what technique Austin was referring to, "Odor Sleuth!"

"Exactly," confirmed Austin with a smile, "and what's Odor Sleuth's primary function?"

"To make ghost pokemon dimensional!" yelled Ash elatedly. "It's used to force them out of their incorporeal guises."

"Bingo," said Austin, "and when Odor Sleuth's put in combination with Growlithe's extraordinary sense of smell, you've got yourself the perfect ghost hunter."

Ash stood up from his seat cheerfully, "Austin, you're a genius!"

The messy-haired teenager leaned back in his chair with an arrogant smirk, "Thanks for noticing."

Ash disregarded the cocky comment before raising a question, "Did your friend tell you where he found his gastly?"

"He found it in the Pokemon Tower," replied Austin. "It's definitely your best bet. The place is a seven-story graveyard: the perfect habitat for ghosts. It's also a good place to find cubone. I actually caught my marowak right around the third floor or something like that."

"Sounds kind of creepy," answered Ash, "but I guess it's worth a shot. I'll look there."

"And I'm sure you'll find one," said the chiseled faced teenager. "Just make sure you're careful. Ghosts aren't exactly placid when spotted."

Just before Ash got a chance to reply, Lavender Town's dispassionate Nurse Joy interjected—her voice being amplified by the front desk's microphone. "Ash Ketchum, Austin Turner—please report to the front desk. Your pokemon are finished recovering."

After picking their pokeballs up from the dullest Nurse Joy Ash had ever met, they exited the outdated Pokemon Center. Lavender Town's pokemon center was extremely unimpressive. It was small and lacked a lot of the prototypical features that a pokemon center was supposed to have. It basically only consisted of a single anachronous lobby and a medical wing. There were no hostels, and it seemed to be empty most of the time. It was pretty evident that Lavender Town got the short end of the stick in terms of League funding.

"What do you want to do until we're supposed to meet up with Wallace?" asked Austin as they walked towards the nearby Pokemart. "Before you head over to the Pokemon Tower, I think you should talk to Wallace. He'll probably have a couple of things he wants to say to you before we head to Saffron."

"I agree," said Ash. "Until then, there's a couple of things I need to take care of."

"Alright cool," said Austin, "I'm gonna head over to one of the shops across the street. I need to buy some clothes. I wasn't able to pack up everything back on the ship. I figure I'll spend some of my prize money on a new wardrobe."

"Okay," replied Ash as he checked the time on his xtranceiver, "I'll see you at the Pokemart in an hour. I've got to make a call, and I want to spend a little bit of time with my pokemon."

"Yup, sounds good to me," said Austin while beginning to cross the street, "see you in a bit."

"See you later," replied Ash as he walked forward towards the edge of town.

After splitting off from Austin, Ash immediately released Growlithe. Upon release, the puppy pokemon shook out his fur before looking up at his trainer with amicable eyes. The dark-haired boy joyfully smiled back. After seeing Growlithe's feral expression aboard the SS _Anne_, Ash was very happy to see his puppy pokemon's typical friendly countenance. The ten-year-old boy wasn't stupid; he knew that Growlithe had to be processing the horrible anterior events. As long as the pup could look at him with those affable eyes, he knew everything would be okay.

"How are you doing, buddy?" asked Ash inquisitively. "Are you feeling refreshed from Nurse Joy's restoration machine?"

Growlithe happily yipped before flashing Ash an expression that depicted curiosity.

"Good, I'm glad you feel better," said Ash, "and I'm doing alright, still processing the insanity from earlier. I have a feeling it's going to take a while to fully comprehend what happened."

Growlithe nodded his head, signifying his agreement.

"Well…anyways," babbled Ash, "the plans have changed since we made them on top of Pido's back. I know we said we would head straight to Saffron after we got our pokemon healed, but after talking to Austin, I decided that I really want to catch a ghost pokemon while we're here. We're going to meet up with Wallace and Austin in an hour."

The puppy pokemon looked up at Ash with attentive eyes.

"From there, they'll head to Saffron, and we'll stay behind," informed Ash while pointing at a tall, ominous spire on the opposite side of the eerie town. "We're gonna catch a ghost-type at that tower over there. Apparently, it's where they like to hang out."

Growlithe looked out at the tower with an interested expression. His nostrils quavered as the pup appeared to catch a whiff of something intriguing.

"Smell something strange?" asked Ash with a knowing smile. "It should be bizarre, almost unnatural."

Growlithe used his head to give Ash a positive gesture before slowly beginning to creep toward the scent.

"Not right now," ordered Ash, "I know it's probably interesting, but we have some stuff we have to get done before we head over there. Like I said, first we have to talk Wallace. But before we can do that, I have to call Bill and see how he's doing. And after I've talked to Bill, we've got to check on Ivysaur. I haven't seen him since he evolved, and I don't feel comfortable letting him battle until I've examined him."

The puppy pokemon did as his trainer said – discarding the scent – for now. The alluring aroma felt estranged, yet inviting, almost like it was yearning for interaction. The canine looked forward to meeting its source. The scent was one of many—all branching from the same evolutionary line. Some were weaker; some were more powerful. But, the one that stood out to Growlithe, didn't stick out on account of its power. There was something else. Its scent was bright amidst a plethora of darkness. The aroma depicted an image of a single lit candle surrounded by a chasm of black.

Growlithe's aromatic rumination was cut short by the sound of his trainer's voice.

"Let's go find somewhere quiet," said Ash. "I promised my mom I'd call Bill as soon as possible.

The puppy pokemon followed Ash as the dark-haired boy continued towards the outskirts of town, passing through the suburbs along the way. Lavender Town's suburban area was, as Austin would say, sketchy. Despite the housings' relatively nice architecture, it had a peculiar vibe to it. It was rare that Ash saw another active person. Everyone seemed to be shacked up in their ranch-style homes. There were a lot of _for sale_ signs. Ash didn't know if it was a coincidence, but it seemed as if there was a collective desire to get out. All it took was a fifteen minute walk through Lavender Town's neighborhoods, and Ash understood where Austin was coming from. This definitely wasn't a place he desired to be. He'd catch a ghost and get out. There was no other reason to stick around.

It wasn't until Ash reached the outermost edge of the small town that he found a good place to check on Ivysaur. He caught sight of a rather large clearing. There was a decent enough proximity in between himself and the nearest establishment that he didn't have to worry about breaking anything throughout the examination. However, before he released Ivysaur, he'd call Bill's lighthouse.

While listening to the encompassing willow trees rustle on account of the steady breeze, Ash proceeded to scroll through the contacts programmed into his xtranceiver. He located the contact that corresponded to Bill's lighthouse before pressing the on-screen dial option.

"_Ring_…"

"_Ring_…"

"_Ring_…"

Ash patted a patient Growlithe on the head as the mobile video phone continued to dial.

"_Ring_…"

"_Ring_…"

"_Click_."

The small dial screen on the xtranceiver briskly converted to a shot of Bill's pensive mug. The billionaire pokemon researcher looked like he'd been crying: his eyes were red and his nose was runny. Bill's curly hair was a mess, and his whole entire face looked to be perspiring. Just like Ash's mother had warned him, Bill was in bad shape.

"Hey, Ash…" whimpered Bill as he rubbed his eyes. "Are you calling to offer your condolences like every other bloody plonker that has my number?"

"Jeez," answered Ash indelicately, "you're a mess."

"Of course I am," muttered Bill in an edgy intonation. "My old man was on the bloody SS _Anne_. Now, why are you calling, Ash? One of our family employees is coming to pick me up within the hour. I've got to catch a flight to Cerulean City later this evening. I don't have time to be chit-chatting."

"Well, you're going to want to hear what I have to say," said Ash. "Please, take a second to hear me out. It's important."

"At a time like this?" jabbed Bill with an annoyed facial expression.

"Yes, at a time like this. Just trust me. I wouldn't continue to bother you if it wasn't important," insisted Ash. "It's pertained to your father."

Bill raised a single eyebrow, "It's about Dad; I'm listening."

"I was aboard the SS _Anne_, Bill," said Ash, "and I met your dad, he's an awesome guy."

"You were what!?" exclaimed Bill, "Ash, you were there for that bloody tragedy!? Are you alright!?"

"For the most part, I'm fine," answered Ash, "I saw some stuff that I'd rather not have. But, physically, I'm okay."

"Thank God, you're alright," said Bill while resting his face in his palms. "I don't know what I would have done if I lost my father and my friend in the same bloody day!"

"Don't worry about me," said Ash with a smile, "like I said, I'm just fine."

"You sure?"

"Positive," answered Ash.

"Alright…if you say so," said Bill as he looked back up at the video phone's camera. "Now, what is it that you want to tell me?"

"What I'm about to tell you is top secret information," said Ash. "The only people that know about it is my friend, Austin Turner, and the Champion of Hoenn, Wallace Mikari.

"You know Wallace Mikari?" asked Bill incredulously.

"Yes," said Ash, "we became friends aboard the ship. I met your dad through Wallace."

"Right," replied Bill with a nod, "that makes sense. Last I heard from my dad, he was discussing development plans with Wallace."

"Involving the Master Ball," replied Ash with a smirk.

"How do you kno—"

"Wallace told me," interrupted Ash. "It's one of the main reasons I called you."

"Why would Wallace tell you about that?" asked Bill. "My father just told me about the Master Ball a couple of weeks ago. He was freaking out because he thought that some blighter was trying to steal it. Only a select few are aware of its existence."

"He told me because your dad isn't dead," said Ash resolutely. "Team Rocket planted the bomb. And one of the reasons why they did it was to kidnap your father unnoticed."

Bill stared blankly at the screen as he internalized Ash's words.

The dark-haired boy gave Bill a moment to process. By the look on his face, he needed it.

"W-wait what?" asked Bill, dumfounded. "Dad's still alive..."

"Yup," said Ash, "one of the Rockets that Wallace interrogated said that Team Rocket's boss needed him for something. It was Wallace who figured out that they were after the Master Ball."

Bill suddenly jumped out of his seat ecstatically, temporarily drifting off-screen. "Dad's alive! Dad's alive! Dad's alive! Bloody hell, Dad's alive!"

Ash smiled as he watched his friend's demeanor instantaneously shift. Back at the lighthouse, the ten-year-old boy had jokingly made fun of Bill's dramatic behavior. However, in this moment, it was completely understandable. The pokemon researcher had just been given a ray of hope amidst his mental cataclysm. He had lost all aspiration only for it to be given back to him by one of his few friends.

The ten-year-old boy waited for Bill to come back to the camera before he continued, "Bill, you have to keep this a secret. Act as if you still think your dad is dead. We're working on a way to save him, and it's reliant upon this information staying a secret."

In response to Ash's words, Bill's countenance depicted seriousness, "Ash, this is my father were talking about. The only way I'm going to oblige to keep my bloody mouth shut is if you share your plan with me."

"Fair enough," said Ash with a shrug, "but just remember, I didn't have to tell you in the first place."

"But you did," replied Bill with a subtle smile, "because you're my friend, and friends don't keep important stuff from one another."

Ash bashfully scratched the back of his head, "You got me there. Now, let's see…the plan starts with where I am right now."

"And that is?" asked Bill curiously.

"Lavender Town," answered Ash neutrally. "We arrived here late this morning. We escaped the explosion via Wallace's wailords. The trip didn't take too long, and it was relatively smooth. Ever since we arrived, Wallace's been working out travel means for the other survivors—a request from Lance."

"Leave it to that knobhead Lance to parcel out his duties to another region's Champion," heckled Bill as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Ash ignored the comment as he continued, "Once Wallace is done, Wallace and Austin are going to head out to Saffron City. I'm going to meet up with them later today."

"Why aren't you leaving with them?" asked Bill with an interested cast.

"I'm going to try and catch a ghost-type at the Pokemon Tower," replied Ash. "I'll catch up on Pidgeotto when I'm done."

"Ah, I see…" drawled Bill, "you're going after Sabrina next, eh?"

"Exactly," replied Ash, "I'm planning on taking her on with Clefairy and a ghost-type."

"Smart move," answered Bill. "Do you know her League registered team?"

"I don't. I keep forgetting to ask around," said Ash with a curious expression. "Do you?"

"I do," replied Bill with a smirk, "but finish telling me the rest of your plan...I'll tell you after."

Ash's facial expression jolted, "But!-"

"Nope," replied Bill furtively, "I'm not bloody budging."

"Fine," replied Ash curtly. "Well, anyway, after I meet up with Austin and Wallace; it'll probably take a few days to get to Saffron. Wallace is convinced that Team Rocket won't make their move until then."

"Why?" interrupted Bill.

"We had it explained to us aboard the ship," said Ash, "that Team Rocket's boss has appointed members called 'executives' that lead the organizations operations. There was one aboard the SS _Anne._ However, we are unaware of the executive lead's identity."

"What does that have to—"

"I'm not done," angled Ash, "let me finish."

Bill nodded, allowing Ash to proceed.

"Silph Co. is under twenty-four hour surveillance by ACE trainers," said Ash. "You should know that on account of the fact that your dad is active CEO. You should also know that Ace trainers aren't a joke. Wallace told me about the rigorous regiment they're put through, by the League, in order to acquire the kind of power they have at their disposal."

"You're correct," answered Bill, "at all times, there should be at least a hundred ACE trainers stationed at Silph Co. and each and every one of them has been put through excruciating training by Kanto's Elite Four, themselves."

"Yup," said Ash, "however, Wallace told me that once every year, all ACE trainers are recalled for a mandatory examination of their skill level. During that time frame, they're secretly replaced by ACE trainer candidates—which is part of their final evaluation to become official League employees. On top of the inexperience, the League is only able to fork out about half of the normal amount of stationed trainers. The recall is in three days. Do you get where I'm going with this?"

"Bloody hell!" yelled Bill. "They're going to strike during the recall."

"That's our guess," said Ash with a frown. "It definitely makes sense."

"But the recall is top secret information," said Bill. "How could they possibly know about it? Unless—"

"Bill…" Ash interrupted, "they've been idle for five years. They infiltrated the SS _Anne;_ who's to say they didn't infiltrate League ranks."

"Those friggin' rotters!" cursed Bill before forcing himself to calm down. "Now, where does this executive you were talking about come into play?

"The executive in charge of this operation most likely has your father," replied Ash bluntly. "They need him in order to get into the Master Ball's security room. We assume that there's some sort of DNA passcode."

"More like multiple," replied Bill. "I'm not sure of all the details, though."

"And neither are they," said Ash with a nod. "Hence the reason they captured him alive."

Bill rubbed the skin under his chin as he mulled something over. "Is there a reason why you guys are keeping this a secret from the League? Wouldn't it help if we had more firepower to stop them?"

"We don't know who to trust," said Ash simply. "I know Lance and the Elite Four are probably safe, but who knows how deep Team Rocket's infiltrated. If news gets out that someone is aware of their plot, we might lose our only chance at rescuing your father."

"Gotchya," replied Bill, "understandable. So, is there anything I can do other than sit back on my bloody arse and wait for all of this to unfold?"

Ash slyly smiled, "As a matter of fact, there is…"

"What is it?"

"Come up with an awesome disguise and change your flight to Saffron," said Ash.

"Oooooh, that sounds fun," drawled Bill. "What do you fancy I'd be doing?"

"Recon," said Ash. "It would be great if you could be on the lookout for any suspicious movement. If we can figure out where they're hiding out, it would be a huge advantage."

Bill practically jumped out of his seat. "This is going to be a blast! I better start working on a clever disguise!"

"No pokemon costumes," Ash jested, "especially kabuto."

Bill gave Ash a wry expression, "Just because I messed up once, doesn't make me a bloody cack. Besides, that would hardly be a suitable disguise. I plan on going completely incognito on those bastards."

Ash laughed, "You do that Bill. I can't wait to see what you come up with."

"It's going to be bloody great. I better get working on it," said Bill. "Thanks for telling me about my dad. I trust you'll get him back."

"Absolutely," said Ash, "we'll definitely get him back. We have a Champion on our side."

"Very true," replied Bill. "Now, I'm going to go Ash. Good luck catching a gho—"

"Wait!" blurted Ash with vigor. "You still have to tell me what Sabrina's registered pokemon are!"

"Oh yeah…" muttered Bill as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, for rookies she doesn't stray away from the abra evolutionary line. For trainers with less than three badges, Sabrina uses an abra and a kadabra. But if you've got more than three, who knows what the bloody hell she'll use. The woman is a monster."

"Good thing I've got one more rookie gym battle," said Ash. "If I manage to get a ghost-type, it should be doable."

"Now that you know Sabrina's registered team, I'm going to go," said Bill. "I've got a disguise to create."

Ash laughed, "Suit yourself…later, Bill."

"See ya, mate!"

"Click."

Ash watched as the miniature screen on his xtranceiver read: "Call Ended" after Bill's face rapidly cut out.

"He's just as entertaining as ever," laughed Ash as he looked down at Growlithe.

The puppy pokemon looked up at him with disappointed eyes. Ash had failed to notice Growlithe's eager expression that persisted throughout the entire conversation. The pup had wanted to say hello to the researcher as well.

Ash frowned. All it took was one look at his starter for the boy to know what was wrong. "My bad, boy, I was so busy appeasing Bill that I didn't notice. I should have known that you wanted to say hello. Don't get too upset, though. We'll see him soon enough."

Growlithe's expression slightly lightened up as Ash leant over and scratched the fur behind his ears.

"Now, what do you say we check on Ivysaur?" suggested Ash.

The puppy pokemon nodded his head elatedly as he was anxious to see his teammate's new form.

Ash proceeded to unclip Ivysaur's pokeball from his trainer belt before releasing the saurian grass-type. In wake of the release's flash of white light, the evolved specimen darted his eyes back and forth observing his surroundings. Once Ivysaur had deciphered the purpose of the situation, he calmed down.

"Hey, Ivysaur," crooned Ash as he watched the grass-type's four fronds flutter with the wind, "how are you feeling?"

The seed pokemon happily nodded his head up and down, bespeaking his super-eminent well-being.

Ash couldn't help but smile. His grass-type appeared to have retained his auspicious personality. "Good. I'm glad. Do you feel stronger?"

In advance to Ash's question, Ivysaur protruded his vines ostensibly examining his new body. After checking his vines, he bunglingly lifted his forelegs inspecting his reconstructed muscles. The seed pokemon seemed to be impressed by his new form.

Even more importantly, it appeared as though Ivysaur's trauma had yet to surface. Ash would be lying if he said he wasn't worried about it. Ever since Melanie had filled him in on Ivysaur's past, it had been a looming thought in the back of his head. Nevertheless, Ash was prepared to support Ivysaur throughout his mental assailment. However, that didn't change the fact that he hoped it would come later rather than sooner. Right now, there was just way too much chaos going on.

"Seems you're happy with your new form," said Ash with a grin. "How would you like to test your techniques?"

Ivysaur nodded affirmatively.

"Awesome," said Ash, "now, before we do anything, does your body feel awkward at all? Evolution tends to irk coordination. Other than your bud, there haven't been any extreme changes to your physique. You're bigger, but I did some research and found out that your species doesn't typically go through a physical ineptitude phase until the venusaur stage."

Ivysaur shook his head left to right before cantering off into the clearing. His pink bud fidgeted atop his back as he bound across the faded grass. Ash didn't descry any inelegance within his physical proficiency. His speed had taken a slight negative hit, but that was to be expected. Ash couldn't wait to see the fresh, new fruits of his transformation.

"Let's see how fast you are after you use Chlorophyll!" bellowed Ash from across the field. "Activate it!"

Ivysaur obediently carried out Ash's orders, absorbing the solar rays emitted from the bright, yellow sun. He instantly noticed the difference in the capability of his new bud. Compared to his primary form's bulb, it was much more efficient. The assimilation phase was quicker, and the result was a much stronger organic steroid. The saurian facilitated it from his internal beaker, into his legs, greatly enhancing his speed.

"Now this should be interesting…" said Ash to Growlithe as Ivysaur prepared to burst forward.

The puppy pokemon acknowledged his trainer's comment with a yap while staring straight ahead.

Ash watched in awe as Ivysaur took off in a blur. After being pumped up with chlorophyll, the boy's Ivysaur was even faster than he was antecedent to evolution. Ash made a mental note to check if the League manufactured Sunny Day TM's. Sunny Day is a fire-type technique that allows the user to manipulate the encompassing skies to clear out a pathway for the sun. Ash had never actually seen it done before, but it was also rumored that high-level pokemon can grow capable of procreating a temporary artificial light source that acts as an ersatz sun indoors. Ash was pretty sure Ivysaur couldn't learn the technique naturally. However, it would be nice to be able to use his saurian's ability regardless of weather forecast.

Ash looked down at his starter with a benevolent grin. Growlithe glanced back up at Ash with impressed eyes.

"That's enough!" exclaimed Ash—directed towards Ivysaur. "Great job, that was fantastic!"

Ivysaur compliantly slowed down while returning to Ash's side slightly out of breath. The grass-type's countenance portrayed satisfaction as he looked up at his proud trainer.

"No coordination problems," reported Ash with a smirk, "and your ability checks out even better than I could have imagined. Are you ready to check your techniques?"

The evolved saurian nodded like a novelty bobble head. He couldn't wait to explore even more of his newfound strength.

"Alright, so I'm not too worried about your physical attacks," said Ash, "so we don't have to check those. I'm much more interested in observing your elemental techniques and status moves. My guess is that your evolution has primarily affected you in those two areas."

Ivysaur listened attentively as Ash continued.

"Let's start with Leech Seed," suggested Ash. "I'd rather not have you use it on one of your teammates right now. So, how about we just check your propulsion rate?"

"You see that willow tree over there?" asked Ash while pointing at one of the faraway, deciduous trees. "Hit its trunk."

Ivysaur disembogued a low, acquiescent grunt as he turned his body to directly face the willow tree. He used his bud to internally hatch a cluster of parasitic seeds before loading them into his two protrusion slots.

In the blink of an eye, Ash observed while Ivysaur emanated a battery of green, glowing pellets. They shot through the air at a breakneck pace, resulting in a quiet crash as they imbedded themselves within the living host. The willow tree's trunk was then wrapped up in a net of vines which proceeded to fluctuate into the same verdant hue as the seeds.

"Good job, Ivysaur. Your Leech Seed looks great," praised Ash before looking at Growlithe and pointing back towards the tree. "Growlithe, can you bite off that Leech Seed? I'd hate to kill the tree."

Growlithe happily obliged, scampering off towards the tree in order to carry out his trainer's order.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ash watched Growlithe sink his teeth into the fluorescent, parasitic web. However, his primary focus was on Ivysaur who he was currently giving his next order to, "Let me see your Vine Whip, please."

Ivysaur quickly distended his thick, vine-like appendages before swinging them down at the ground like a sledge hammer. As the whips hit the faded grass, there was a turbulent _thump_!

Ash whistled in response to Ivysaur's blatant power boost. Left in Vine Whip's aftermath was a crevasse. It was by no means large, but it was nevertheless a depression—which was something Ivysaur wasn't capable of when he was a bulbasaur.

"Wow," stated Ash, "I'd hate to be on the other end of that."

Ivysaur smirked after hearing Ash's comment—his two, protruding, upper teeth gave him a slight look of arrogance throughout the expression.

"I guess the only things left to check are both of your status powders," said Ash as Growlithe returned from the willow tree, "but that's for you to figure out on your own. I can't really help you there. You should try and keep the component levels relatively close to what they were when you were a bulbasaur. The only thing I'd really like to know is whether or not your secretion sacs have grown?"

The evolved saurian did a quick diagnostic of the inside of his bud before giving Ash an affirmative nod.

"So they're bigger?" asked Ash, looking for reassurance.

Ivysaur repeated his nod—this time putting forth a gentle grunt throughout its duration.

"Do you need time to figure out the measurements for your concoctions again?" asked Ash, "or can you make your status powders now?"

The saurian grass-type proceeded to close his eyes focusing in on his intramural beaker. He prepared his Poison Powder first, carefully measuring and mixing a hodgepodge of toxic chemicals in order to create a sickening solution. Once it was properly mixed, he facilitated it into one of his designated secretion sacs. The seed pokemon quickly repeated the process. This time he brewed a batch of his powerful Sleep Powder. In subsequence to Sleep Powder's formulation, he emptied his internal beaker into another secretion sac.

When Ivysaur was finished, he opened his eyes...exiting his internal laboratory.

"How'd it go?" asked Ash.

Simultaneous to Ash's question, Growlithe looked over at his evolved teammate with a curious cast.

Ivysaur simply smiled while muttering something happily in his native language.

"Sweet!" exclaimed Ash, "it looks like all of your techniques are just fine. I'm going to have to check the pokedex to figure out what move we're going to learn next. Here's the good news, I definitely think you're just fine to continue training like normal."

Growlithe concurrently yapped something affirming towards his comrade garnering an elated response from the grass-type.

"I'm glad you're proud of yourself, my friend," said Ash before addressing both Ivysaur and Growlithe. "Now, what do you say, you two? Would you like to walk back to the Pokemart with me? It's about time we meet up with Wallace and Austin."

Both Growlithe and Ivysaur synchronously emanated a compliant murmur as Ash cheerfully led them back towards the heart of town.

XXX

Ten minutes prior to when Ash was supposed to meet Wallace and Austin, he arrived outside of the Pokemart. The dark-haired boy took a seat on one of the town's public benches as Growlithe and Ivysaur sat on both sides of his grounded feet.

"I guess...we'll just wait here," said Ash as he took off his backpack in precedence to laying it down next to him on top of the ironclad bench.

"Might as well do something productive," muttered Ash while unzipping one of his backpack's multiple pockets.

Ash heard Growlithe and Ivysaur's inquisitive murmurs as they curiously watched their trainer.

"I'm looking for my pokedex," said Ash, "I stuffed it in my backpack when I was rushed to pack everything back on the ship. I haven't needed it since, so it's still in here."

While he was digging through his bag's middle pocket, he suddenly felt a slightly sticky metallic sphere. At first he was confused; he kept all of his pokeballs inside of his bag's back pocket. However, as he pulled the scarlet stained orb out of concealment, a spine-tingling image of himself crouching over Chance Chapman's lacerated body pierced through his mind. Once again, He could practically feel the frigidness put forth from Swampert's Ice Beam while he replayed the memory of himself wiping the blood from Chance's pokeballs.

Ivysaur and Growlithe emitted cries of worry as Ash's complexion turned pale. The mental image was suddenly broken when Growlithe used his head to nudge Ash's leg, garnering his attention.

"Sorry, boy," bemoaned Ash, "I just remembered that there's something else I have to do."

Ivysaur looked up at Ash, befuddled, before glancing at Growlithe in just as confused of a manner. The puppy pokemon, however, knew exactly what Ash was talking about. He stood up from his spot on the ground before waiting for Ash to lead the way. Ash didn't waste any time; he'd have to make this quick. The dark-haired boy was supposed to meet Wallace and Austin in less than ten minutes.

The ten-year-old boy led both of his pokemon around the back of the nearby Pokemon Center looking for a quiet place to make his third phone call of the day. He found a small, vacant, public playground across the road from the Pokemon Center's posterior. It wasn't exactly your typical station of solitude, but it would work just fine. He beckoned both of his confused pokemon to follow him across the playground's sand and up the jungle gym, where he leaned up against the play structure's metallic railing.

Ash looked down at Growlithe and Ivysaur who both synchronously released an inquisitorial yowl.

"From up here, we can see if anyone's approaching," said Ash. "I've got to call Professor Oak and let him know that I'm sending over Chance's pokeballs. There's no way the professor won't ask questions. I have a feeling I'm going to have to tell him about everything that happened..."

Growlithe simply nodded, understanding his trainer's motive.

Ivysaur still looked as confused as a slowpoke while he spoke something in his native tongue directed towards Growlithe.

"While I'm on the phone with the professor, why don't you fill Ivysaur in on what's going on." Ash said to Growlithe while flipping through the contacts programmed into his xtranceiver. "I'll try and make it quick."

Growlithe nodded as Ash pressed dial, "Remember…be on the lookout. No one can hear this conversation."

Both of his pokemon proceeded to put forth affirmative grunts.

"_Ring_…"

"_Ring_…"

"_Ring_…"

"_Click_."

"Ash, my boy, I was just about to call you!" blustered the professor as his worried, lived-in face appeared on screen. "I just got off the phone with your mother. Are you okay?"

"Err…I'm alright, I guess…" mumbled Ash; he should have known that his mom would call the professor.

"You sure don't look it," answered the professor bluntly while pointing at the screen. "I've known you since you were a toddler, Ash, and I've never seen your eyes so tired."

"Well, I only got a few hours of sleep last night," said Ash. "I was kind of busy escaping the SS _Anne_."

"That's not what I mean," replied the professor. "Your semblance has changed since the last time I talked to you. While your face looks ten, your eyes look aged. Reminiscent of the boy I met back—"

Ash watched as the professor stopped himself mid-sentence, scratching his head anxiously as if he'd sputtered something he shouldn't have.

"Well n-never mind. That's beside the point…" stuttered the professor. "The point I'm trying to make is that you look like you've seen something. Talk to me child."

Ash decided to ignore the professor's bizarre behavior for now. He wanted to get straight to the point of why he was calling.

He had to be careful concerning what intel he shared. He trusted the professor with his life, but the old man's loyalty to his mother was unprecedented. The dark-haired boy would only disclose information about what had happened; he had zero plans to share his involvement in what was to come.

"Professor, please don't tell my mom about what I'm about to tell you," said Ash in precedence to the info he was about to disclose. "She would freak out if she knew what really happened aboard the ship."

"If I deem it for the best," said Professor Oak, "I will remain silent. Now carry on."

Ash momentarily hesitated before continuing.

"I'm the one that found out about the bomb," said Ash with a firm countenance.

The professor's posture changed as he sat up in his chair. His expression depicted attentiveness while he looked Ash in the eyes, "How, what happened?"

Ash ignored the lump in his throat as he recalled the memories of the crepuscular, early outset.

"It all started when I suddenly woke up after hearing a loud crash outside of my lodge. I knew something was wrong, but it wasn't until I saw Growlithe's expression that I realized that it must be something serious."

"Ah…yes, the species is incredible at sensing danger," said Professor Oak. "It was wise of you to trust Growlithe's judgement."

"Thanks," replied Ash. "Anyways, Growlithe had me hurry up and pack up of all my stuff. He was pretty adamant that there was a chance we wouldn't be coming back."

"Intriguing…" muttered the professor under his breath as Ash continued.

"After I finished packing, we left the room. Growlithe instantly took off in a haste forcing me to sprint to keep up. We took a couple of sharp turns throughout the lodging zone. I could tell that Growlithe was tracking something abnormal. His eyes were feral, and his expression was vicious."

"What was it?" asked an engaged professor.

"Blood," bemoaned Ash. "Growlithe led me straight to a blotch of human blood."

Professor Oak shook his head sorrowfully. Ash knew that this conversation was going exactly where the professor had hoped it wouldn't.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Ash…" groaned the professor, weariness evident in his voice.

"It doesn't get much better," confessed Ash. "Should I continue?"

"G-go ahead, my boy, I'm all ears," stammered Professor Oak.

Even though the old man tried not to show it, Ash could tell it was hard for Professor Oak to listen to him talk about his tragic experience. The professor had pretty much known him his whole life and had treated him the same as he would his own grandson. Professor Oak was protective of Ash—just as he was Gary. Therefore, it was completely understandable that the old man was having an adverse reaction to Ash's story.

"Very well," said Ash, carrying on. "So, after examining the blood, Growlithe took off once again. I followed him out of one wing and into another. This time, Growlithe led us to a second sighting of blood. It was much more gruesome than the first. It was smeared across the tile making a long, winding trail."

Professor Oak once again shook his head incredulously. "Where were all of the workers? I thought the SS _Anne _was supposed to be staffed twenty-four seven."

"At the time, I thought the same thing," said Ash. "It was so strange. It was as if that part of the ship had been abandoned."

"You didn't follow the trail by yourself, did you?" asked Professor Oak. "You got help, right?"

"Earlier on the trip I met the Champion of Hoenn—Wallace Mikari," said Ash, "I called him. I didn't know what else to do."

"Yeah, now that you mention it, that makes sense. The news report said that the famous foreigner got most of the passengers off in time. There was also a bunch of live video of Wallace talking to reporters by Lavender Town's southeastern coast," said Oak. "I never would have guessed that you helped him, though. First Bill Montgomery, now the Champion of another region; Ash you're starting to procure quite a group of friends."

"I guess you could say that…" said Ash while scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, anyways, after waking Wallace up with a phone call, we met up. He had a strange pokemon that I'd never heard of before with him. It was beyond elite level. Its name was Swampert."

"Ah…a Swampert, eh?" questioned Professor Oak, "I haven't seen one of those in ages. Their primary form mudkip is one of the Hoenn region's traditional starters. Swampert are extremely powerful pokemon. Unless you have a competent grass-type, their duel-typing is very difficult to strategize against."

"Yeah, I think I remember Wallace telling me that it was a water/ground-type," said Ash, "I can see how that could be difficult to handle."

"It is," stated the professor. "Now, what happened after you met up with Wallace?"

"I showed him the trail," said Ash as he could feel himself on the brink of choking up, "and we followed it."

Ash took a deep breath before continuing. It was difficult enough to recall the events...talking about them was even harder.

"At the end of the blood trail was a locked _'employees only'_ door,'" Ash told him. "I'm sure you can understand that between the two unstaffed wings and the trail of blood, we were speculating some kind of corruption amongst the cruise staff."

"Of course," stated Professor Oak, "I would be thinking the same thing."

"Well, we weren't wrong," said Ash. "Wallace gave me the option to turn back, but I refused. Growlithe and I found the mess; we wanted to help find out what was going on."

The professor stayed quiet, but Ash could tell he didn't agree with Wallace's decision to let Ash accompany him through the door. However, there wasn't really anything the professor could do about it. What was done was done. And Ash had helped save thousands of lives. Regardless of how logical the professor's disdain for Ash's endangerment was, he couldn't argue heroism—especially of this magnitude.

The ten-year-old boy ignored the professor's awkward silence, persisting through his story with emotion in his voice. "The trail of blood continued down the new hallway, gradually thinning out as we approached another door. The door was cracked open, and we could hear two rough voices from behind it. We listened in, and what we heard was horrific."

Tears began to surface in the corner of Ash's eyes while his voice started to tremble. Professor Oak gave him a supportive nod to continue: the phone call was beginning to obtain the feel of a talk therapy session.

"They spoke of a kidnapping before beginning to unveil an even more elaborate plot of evil. They shared their name; their identity was disturbing to say the least."

"Who were they?"

"Their individual identities don't matter," said Ash. "Who they worked for was what was frightening."

Ash watched Professor Oak lean forward in his chair as he zeroed in on what Ash was about to say.

"Team Rocket…" hissed Ash—disdain evident in his intonation. "They worked for Team Rocket."

Professor Oak's eyes bulged as he raised his hand up to his forehead in shock, "So, they're back…"

"Yup," said Ash, "they are...and they're planning something big. After they unintentionally revealed who they worked for, they started to talk about how they killed a kid that had overheard them in the hallway."

Tears started to flow down Ash's cheeks as he visualized the scene. "One of them was complaining because he thought that they should have cleaned up the blood. But, the other insisted it wasn't necessary. That's when we first heard about the bomb. I still remember his exact words. He said: _the ship will be up in flames in thirty minutes_."

"How old was the child?" asked Professor Oak gravely.

"My age…"Ash stammered before continuing with the story. "Once we heard that there was a bomb, Wallace stormed the Rockets. While he quickly incapacitated the two grunts, I caught sight of the kid's body. He was one of the kids I battled aboard the ship. I knew him. His name was Chance Chapman."

The Professor tensely massaged the skin on his forehead as he internalized Ash's words. "No wonder your dogma has changed. My boy, that's something that no one should ever have to see...let alone someone your age. I'm sorry…I'm so sorry you had to witness something so abominable."

"You don't need to apologize," said Ash as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "It's not your fault. It is what it is. I'll survive."

The professor gave the boy a slight smile. "Your mental toughness comes from your mother. I have no doubt that you'll overcome this. I just want you to be aware that once you've consciously seen something tragic like that, you'll always remember it. We are molded by memories whether we like it or not. Anyone can make good out of the good ones. It takes a special person to make good out of the bad."

"Hopefully I'm special then," spluttered Ash as he listened to Ivysaur and Growlithe exchange serious murmurs.

"You are special," retorted Professor Oak matter-of-factly. "No doubt about it."

"Thanks, professor," said Ash while forming a smile, "that means a lot."

"I simply call it how I see it," stated the professor. "Now, carry on whenever you're ready."

Ash smiled on account of Oak's comment before proceeding. "Well, once Growlithe noticed Chance's body, he scampered over to his side frenziedly. It didn't take me long to figure out what Growlithe had focused in on. Surprisingly, the Rockets hadn't confiscated Chance's pokeballs. They were still strapped to his belt, drenched in their trainer's blood. I couldn't just leave them there; so I unclipped them, wiped the blood off, and stuffed them into my backpack. This is actually the main reason why I called you. I'd like to send you Chance's pokeballs. Do you think you can take care of them at the corral?"

The professor mulled it over before retorting. "Before I can commit to that, I'll have to call his sponsor. Usually, in situations like this, the pokemon will either be sent to the child's family or their issuer. If neither desires to take the pokemon under their custody, I'll take care of them. But, either way, go ahead and send them over to me. I'll take care of it from here. Don't worry about it."

"Thanks, professor," said Ash, "before I head to the Pokemon Center to transfer the pokeballs over, do you want me to finish telling you what happened with the SS _Anne_?"

"I would very much appreciate that," replied the professor with a nod, "it's probably best that you continue to verbalize what happened. Often times, the best way to overcome trauma is to talk about it."

"I can see the truth in that," said Ash. "I'm already feeling a little bit better."

"Good…" drawled the professor, "how about you continue then?"

Ash fulfilled the Professor's request, proceeding to share with him the remainder of the events that happened aboard the SS _Anne_. Ash told him about the interrogation of Sid and Jack, the kidnapping of Robert Montgomery, the rendezvous with his powerful friend Austin Turner, the battle between Swampert and Arbok in the wheelhouse, the dead captains, the PA announcement, Reid, and last but not least the escape via Wallace's wailords.

By the end of the story, Ash felt like he had gotten nearly everything he possibly could off of his chest. He stayed quiet about anything that might lead to a conversation about his plans to recover Mr. Montgomery. The ten-year-old boy didn't want to worry the professor any more than he already had.

"Well, professor, I should probably head over to the Pokemon Center," said Ash. "I'd like to send you those pokeballs sooner rather than later."

"Understandable," replied Professor Oak, "stay out of trouble, Ash. Don't give me a reason to tell your mother about all of this."

"Wait," replied Ash surprised, "you're not going to tell my mom."

"Not unless it's necessary," replied the professor. "If I think that these kinds of situations are becoming a common occurrence, I believe your mother has an indisputable right to know. Otherwise, just this once, I'll keep my mouth shut. I don't believe it would be good for your mother's well-being to hear any of this from anyone other than yourself."

"I agree," retorted Ash, "thanks for understanding, professor."

"Thank you for trusting me enough to open up," replied the professor. "Now, hurry up and send me those pokemon. I have a little bit of free time at the moment. If at all possible, I'd like to take care of this right now."

"Gotchya," answered Ash, "I'll head over to the Pokemon Center right away."

"Splendid," replied the professor. "Talk to you later, my boy. Keep your head up. If you stay positive, your mind will heal over time. Also, let Wallace handle the situation with Mr. Montgomery. You've done enough…"

"Okay, will do," Ash lied guiltily. "See ya later, professor."

"Sayonara, my boy…"

"_Click_."

Ash simultaneously hit the sleep button on his xtranceiver as Professor Oak's lived-in features cut out.

The dark-haired boy proceeded to get two yearning stares from Growlithe and Ivysaur who were ready to go. Ash could tell that Ivysaur was a bit bewildered, most likely because of the news that Growlithe had just disclosed to him.

"It looks to me like you guys are ready," stated Ash. "Let's go, we're already running late."

XXX

After quickly having Lavender Town's Nurse Joy help him use the Pokemon Center's transporter unit to successfully transfer Chance's pokeballs to Professor Oak's lab; Ash, Growlithe, and Ivysaur headed over to the Pokemart. As he approached the door, he checked the time on his xtranceiver. Much to his displeasure, he was ten minutes late. He hated being late. However, this time he didn't have a choice. The well-being of Chance's pokemon was much more important than being frugal with time.

Upon entrance into the pristine, blue-roofed building, Ash caught sight of Wallace and Austin with a stockpile of items checking out at the cashier's desk. Other than his friends, the decently stocked store was rather empty in terms of shoppers. The only other person in the Pokemart was the craggy featured old man that served as the store's cashier.

"Hey, guys..." said Ash as he neared Wallace and Austin, "sorry I'm late."

Both the Champion and the chiseled faced teenager turned around as they heard Ash's adolescent voice.

"Hello, Ash," said Wallace with a benign smile, "don't worry about it. We just went ahead and got the supplies without you."

"Great," said Ash while watching the Champion pay for a bag full of essential items. "Did Austin fill you in on the change of plans?"

"I did," interrupted Austin with a smirk. The teenager held a big shopping bag of his own. It appeared he'd already paid on account of the lengthy receipt he was holding. "You took so damn long to get here—I figured you'd already headed to the tower."

Ash scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, like I said, sorry. I underestimated how much I had to get done."

"Eh, you're fine," snorted Austin as Wallace finished the transaction. "I just thought you'd gotten over eager about ghost hunting, that's all."

"Yeah…" drawled Ash while the three trainers exited the Pokemart. "I probably would have thought the same thing. Anyways, what do you think Wallace? Is it alright if I take a slight detour?"

"I don't have any objections," crooned the silvery-toned man as he stopped outside of the Pokemart. "Just call when you're done. Your xtranceiver can receive coordinates, right?"

"I think so," said Ash, "at least, that's what Bill told me."

"Good," replied Wallace, "I'll send you the coordinates of our current whereabouts after you contact me. That way, you'll be able to find us. Saffron City's about a two-day trip from here, so don't rush yourself. Pidgeotto seems like a fast flyer. By the time you're done, we probably won't have made it all that far. My guess is it won't be that long of a flight. I'm sure we'll see you later today."

Ash honestly had no idea how long it would take. But the faster he could catch a ghost the better. Until he bought a saddle, the idea of flying on Pidgeotto's back for longer than a half an hour sounded horrible.

"I'll try not to take too long," said Ash. "Are you guys planning on heading out right now?"

"We are," replied Wallace. "We'd like to get to Saffron with a day to spare. That way, we can do some reconnaissance."

"Makes sense," said Ash. "By the way, I've got someone else that's helping us with the recon."

Wallace and Austin's faces instantly contorted, confused by Ash's actions.

"I thought I specifically said to keep everything between us," scolded Wallace. "Who'd you tell!?"

"Don't worry," Ash stammered, "it's just Bill. I called to check on him, and he was a wreck. He had a right to know. Robert is his father after all. Besides, he's a good friend of mine. I couldn't just leave him in the dark."

Wallace wiped the sweat from his face as he took a deep breath. "You should have said it was Bill from the beginning. Yeah, that's not a problem. I was planning on giving him a call myself anyways. You told him to keep his mouth shut, right?"

"I did," said Ash. "Trust me, he won't say a word. He's too obsessed with coming up with a good disguise to blow anyone else's cover."

"A disguise?" asked Austin in a confused manner.

"Yeah, I told him to come up with a clever disguise and fly out to Saffron. He's going to help us with recon until we arrive in the city. Team Rocket thinks their plan is an utter secret. They have no reason to pay attention to who's in the city or to speculate anybody's identity for that matter."

"Hmm…that was actually a clever idea, Ash," said Wallace while stroking his chin with his fingers, "but next time, please run it by me before you do anything."

"Gotchya," muttered Ash slightly guiltily. "I will...I promise."

The ten-year-old boy had been so used to traveling alone, for the past month and a half, that cooperation was something he needed to work on…

"Good," replied Wallace, "anyways, we're going to head out. Is there anything you need before we go?"

"Not really," answered Ash as he looked down at Growlithe and Ivysaur. "I've got my pokemon with me. I don't need anything else."

Austin leaned over and looked Growlithe in the eyes. "Take care of your trainer. Ghosts are unpredictable and they love to get under your skin. When you activate Odor Sleuth, you shouldn't have any problem seeing them. Also, make sure Ash doesn't get in over his head. Don't mess with any gengar. Gastly are preferable, and some haunter would be fine, but gengar are too powerful. Ash isn't ready to battle one...let alone train one."

Growlithe nodded his head before looking up at his laughing trainer.

"What do you think I am—an idiot?" laughed Ash. "I know my current limits. I wasn't planning on going after one."

"I'm just making sure," said Austin. "Ghosts are powerful. You've got to be careful."

"I will be," said Ash, "I won't do anything too risky."

"That's all I ask," said Austin as he punched the ten-year-old boy playfully on the shoulder. "Now go catch one, kid."

"Will do," said Ash, "see ya guys, I'll try and catch up as soon as possible."

"Eh, we'll see you later today," replied Austin as he dug into the bag full of items. "One more thing before you go. I thought I'd be a friend and buy you a box of great balls. A gastly or haunter hardly warrants an ultra ball, but a pokeball might be a little bit too weak to catch a haunter. Here you go, nothing too special, I think there's three in there."

Ash looked at Austin incredulously as he held the blue, cardboard box. "Thanks…I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything," replied Austin with a shrug. "It's not a big deal. Honestly, I'd feel bad if I spent all of my earnings on myself."

"Well, now that I think about it…you did win 15k," heckled Ash.

"Hell yeah, I did!" blurted Austin as his eyes practically transformed into dollar signs. "What's a box of great balls when you're rich like me? With the right investments, I'll be the next Robert Montgomery."

Ash shook his head with a laugh while he opened the box of great balls in precedence to placing one in his coat pocket and the rest of the package in his backpack. "You're a trip, Austin."

"That's for sure," drawled Wallace in a humorous intonation.

"Anyways, guys, I really should get going," said Ash while beginning to back away accompanied by Growlithe and Ivysaur. "I'll see you soon."

"Us too," replied Wallace, while beginning to head west towards Saffron. "Bye Ash, good luck."

"Yeah—good luck, dude!" bellowed Austin with a smirk as their proximity grew too far to speak in an average volume. "Don't leave Lavender Town without a ghost!"

"Not even an option!" howled Ash with a wave before turning around and heading east towards the Pokemon Tower with Growlithe and Ivysaur on both sides of him.

He'd catch a ghost-type. No doubt about it.

XXX

The walk over to the Pokemon Tower was even more eerie than when he had trekked through Lavender Town's suburbs. The few districts were very quiet, even when compared to the much smaller town of Pallet. In addition, the people looked like they were in a disinterested daze, going about their lives in a melancholy trance. Nevertheless, he persisted through the gloomy town eventually ending up at the site of the Pokemon Tower.

Ash presently stood out front of the colossal, foreboding spire with Growlithe and Ivysaur by his side. The atmosphere was ominous. Encompassing the tower was a multitude of weeping willows and bloomless cherry blossom trees. The landscape was littered with tombstones bearing human names. Apparently, a hominid graveyard had been established outside of the tower. According to his friend Austin, the fortification's interior was only meant for fallen pokemon.

Amidst the traditional outdoor graveyard, there were a few despondent people visiting loved one's burial sites. Ash got a sick feeling in his stomach as he watched a languished old lady weep in front of a large tombstone. He wasn't sure whether she'd lost a husband or a child. Regardless, it was hard to witness such raw, grief-stricken emotion. He wished he could help. Unfortunately, the woman was too deep in her sorrow to genuinely approach. He would only be a nuisance if he disturbed her.

Ash turned to Growlithe as they neared the front door. "Do you smell any ghost pokemon out here?"

There was no need to use Odor Sleuth until they were in the direct presence of a ghost. For now, Growlithe's aromatic awareness was more than enough to begin the hunt.

The puppy pokemon shook his head before gesturing Ash forward towards the spire.

"Dammit," cursed Ash under his breath, "after seeing this graveyard, I was kind of hoping we wouldn't have to go in."

Before he headed into the spire, Ash detached Charmander and Squirtle's pokeballs in precedence to releasing them. There were no rules concerning how many pokemon you could use to capture a wild specimen. Besides, he felt safer with more of his friends on the outside.

Upon release, Charmander and Squirtle instantly observed their surroundings. The first thing they noticed was Ivysaur's new form. Neither of them had seen Ivysaur since the evolution. This was highly apparent by the way Charmander congratulated Ivysaur with a dopey thumbs-up, and how Squirtle encircled the saurian with a blank expression and curious eyes.

Charmander had spent much more time with the auspicious saurian than Squirtle, so he was way more enthusiastic towards the evolution. Squirtle, however, barely knew the grass-type. Their only few encounters occurred when Ash had them spar as training partners during the first couple days aboard the SS _Anne_. Even so, it's not like Squirtle was prone to showing any kind of emotion in the first place. Ash was just happy that his other friends had accepted the turtle pokemon. Moreover, the fact that Squirtle was trying to get along with the others in return—albeit Pidgeotto, who the water-type didn't care for whatsoever.

Ash interrupted the mingling of his pokemon in order to explain to Charmander and Squirtle their current objective.

"Charmander, Squirtle—we're no longer aboard the SS _Anne_ due to some unforeseen circumstances. I'll tell you about them later. Right now, we've got something important to do. I would like your guys' help to capture a ghost-type. There's a bunch inside this tower, so be prepared for anything. When the time comes, Growlithe should be able to make them visible with Odor Sleuth. What do you say? Will you help me?"

Charmander puffed up his chest and flexed his stubby arms, depicting to his trainer that he was ready for the challenge.

Squirtle simply nodded his head affirmatively—void of all emotion.

"Awesome," said Ash with a grin as he reached for the decorative door's handle set. "Let's go in then."

Growlithe, Ivysaur, Charmander, and Squirtle emitted acquiescent grunts as Ash pulled open the thickset door. The large florid, yet decrepit, door disembogued a spooky creak while the unkempt hinges pivoted the door outward. Ash's skin crawled in response to the grating noise; it triggered an adverse physical reaction sort of like nails on a chalkboard.

Upon entrance, Ash instantly questioned his decision to search the tower. The main entrance was a dim, commodious chamber. Its only lighting came from a collection of suspended lanterns fastened around the first floor's aged stone walls. Just the room itself gave off the feel of a haunted medieval antechamber—take into account the scattered tombstones, and it was rather cadaverous.

Just like outside, there were a few grieving people spread out amongst the graves. Out of curiosity, Ash examined one of the many burial spots. The stone floor that tightly surrounded the tombstone's encompassing area was different in texture and color than the rest of the stonework. Ash figured that the buried pokemon's past owner was given the right to pick what kind of stone the grave was sealed with. It only made sense given that each and every grave was constructed uniquely.

After examining the floor's graveyard, Ash turned to Growlithe who sat alongside his anxious teammates, "Anything on this level?"

Growlithe shook his head before beckoning his trainer to follow him. Ivysaur, Charmander, and Squirtle followed suit, trusting the judgment of the canine.

"Alrighty…"Ash drawled, "lead the way, boy."

The puppy pokemon quickly sifted through his available scents. He discarded anything that was non-living or human, choosing to focus his aromatic awareness on the bizarre redolences he had smelt earlier that day. There was a multitude of ominous pheromones coexisting above. He wasn't exactly positive of each individual scents precise location, but that would be revealed as they drew closer.

Amidst the several related scents, there was one that he locked on to. It was strong, but not overbearing. Just like how he was aromatically aware of Chance's feelings aboard the SS _Anne_, he could smell the being's semblance. It was unlike the rest of its kind. Its dogma was brighter and much less sinister. Growlithe could tell it was surprisingly good-natured, albeit mischievous—which wasn't rare amongst its species. The rest of the spectral beings were foul spirited and demented, especially the collection of powerful scents that existed at the very top of the tower.

By smell alone, Growlithe was able to descry two definite objectives. Their first objective was to track the cordial ghost-type that's pheromone was oddly pleasant. Their second objective was to, at all costs, avoid the last couple floors. He wasn't positive, but his assumption was that the tower's few gengar lived up there. The rest of the tower's ghosts were sinister by nature, but not blood-thirsty. They would be fine as long as they didn't bother them...

Ash observed his surroundings as Growlithe led the group up the tower's enclosed, winding staircase. Fixed along the stone walls were more of the decrepit, but functioning, lanterns that were on the first floor. They emanated just enough light for them to be able to see the steps while they climbed their way up to the second floor.

When they reached the top of the flight of stairs, they walked passed a plainly built upper archway and onto the second floor. While accessing the new level, Ash glanced down at his pokemon.

Growlithe and Squirtle were the least affected by the baleful setting. The puppy pokemon simply continued to lead the way like a brave kangaskhan patriarch. Ash figured the pup's experience aboard the SS _Anne_ had considerably numbed his sense of fear. Squirtle, on the other hand, moved forward like some sort of stony-faced machine. If the water-type felt anything at all involving the haunted tower Ash was completely unaware of it.

Ash could tell Ivysaur and Charmander were at least slightly put off by their surroundings. Even though neither of them appeared to be cowering in fear, it was blatantly obvious that they were uncomfortable. Ivysaur kept sporadically looking behind them. Charmander nervously ground his sharp teeth together, emanating a sound oddly similar to that of a manual pencil sharpener.

"Are you guys alright?" asked Ash, to his two anxious pokemon, as they ambulated across the vacant second floor over to the crosswise, ascending staircase.

Both elemental types frantically nodded their heads, trying not to show weakness to their trainer. Ash noticed Squirtle concurrently look at both of them with condescending eyes, clearly judging their mental fortitude.

Ash simply half-smiled and faced forward; his pokemon definitely weren't bereft of individual personality.

The second-floor was basically identical to the first. Their seemed to be an equal amount of graves, and the walls were bare of anything other than the suspended lanterns.

"Nothing on this floor, eh?" Ash asked Growlithe as they neared the next flight of stairs.

The puppy pokemon emitted a quiet grunt, and shook his head, as they passed by the second floor's last row of graves.

"I don't want to waste anytime then," said Ash. "Let's go up."

Growlithe nodded in accompaniment to the rest of Ash's released pokemon as he initiated the steep climb up the next flight of stairs. During the ascendance, Ash thought of something that Austin had mentioned earlier.

"Can you smell any other type of pokemon besides ghosts?" asked Ash curiously. "I remember Austin saying that cubone could be found here."

Growlithe once again shook his head left to right, attesting that there was no trace of the species.

"Damn, really?" questioned Ash disappointedly, "I mean, I don't really have any interest in catching one. But it would have been cool to see a wild specimen. Maybe they only visit the tower on occasion."

Growlithe simply ignored his inquisitive trainer as he continued up the steep, winding staircase toward the tower's third-level.

Ash, out of annoyance, huffed in response to being ignored, "Just because it was slightly a random question, doesn't mean it's not worth responding to."

The dark-haired boy looked down at his other pokemon for reassurance who just happened to be purposely paying him zero attention.

"Thanks guys," snorted Ash facetiously. "I'm so happy to have your support."

All four of his friends emitted a simultaneous grunt as they walked out onto the third floor.

Instantaneous to their disembarkation onto the third-level, Growlithe shot Ash a conspicuous look. In response to Growlithe's cogent behavior, Ash instantly knew that they were in the presence of at least one apparition. Now that he was aware of a presence, he could actually feel a potent distinction in the atmosphere. The room felt different. It was cold, yet, he was sweating as if it was hot. And despite the vastness of the room, he felt claustrophobic as if the stone walls could swallow him alive at any moment.

"There are ghosts in here," whispered Ash as they walked out into the center of the room. "Is it time to use Odor Sleuth?"

Growlithe gave Ash a resistive look indicating that it wasn't time yet. At this point in his journey – through body language – Ash was able to decipher a general gist of what his starter was trying to depict.

"Wait, not yet?" questioned Ash quietly in a confused manner. "Why?"

Squirtle proceeded to nudge Ash in the leg with one of his compact arms before pointing up at the ceiling.

It took Ash a moment to make sense of what his pokemon were trying to say to him before he replied, "Ah…I get it. There's a specimen you're tracking, isn't there?"

Growlithe and Squirtle nodded affirmatively, while Ivysaur and Charmander took a big breath in attempt to focus their minds. They would discard any anxiety in order to protect Ash from the incorporeal beings.

On account of the few other people that were paying their respects to their deceased pokemon, Ash figured that the ghosts on this floor weren't hostile. Howbeit, he didn't drop his guard as he followed Growlithe, along with his other pokemon, across the third floor. The whole way across the floor, he could feel the odd perceptual sensations caused by the illusory, disguised ghost pokemon.

As Growlithe beckoned his trainer and teammates up the next flight of stairs, Ash could feel the visceral phenomenon grow even stronger. With every step he took, his body got colder...yet his sweat grew thicker. With every stair he climbed, the walls seemed to get closer and closer to entrapping him. He knew it was just an illusion, but the truth didn't change how real it felt. Nevertheless, he persevered. The ten-year-old boy wouldn't be forced to turn back because of some spectral delusion.

Ash wasn't sure, but his pokemon didn't seem to be quite as affected by the ghostly ruse. That only made sense though. Humans were almost always more susceptible to pokemon techniques than other pokemon. Especially, those of the mystic elements such as psychic, ghost, dark, and fairy…

When Ash and his pokemon walked out onto the fourth floor, they could instantly feel an even sharper shift in the room's atmosphere. The phantasmal energy was much more potent, causing a slight shiver to run its course throughout everyone's bodies. Ash wasn't an expert, but he figured it was one of two things.

Either this floor was flooded with gastly, or there were some haunter amongst them. It could also be a combination of both, but he was certain of one thing: there were no gengar. If there were, he probably wouldn't be standing. When untrained, the fully-evolved ghost-type was typically depraved and nefarious, void of compassion and mercy. There was a reason why Austin sincerely stressed for him to stay away from any gengar.

Even so, no matter of the discomfort, they continued to trudge forward in search of the Growlithe's targeted ghost.

"It's got to be on this floor, right?" asked Ash. "I don't know how much higher I can go. I feel like I'm about to get eaten by this place."

Unfortunately, Growlithe once again shook his head. By now, the pup was beginning to feel overwhelmed by the guises of all of the spectral beings. It was difficult to be aware of numerous entities aromatically and not be able to see them visually. However, he still elected to stay away from using Odor Sleuth until absolutely necessary. He figured that once the ghosts were aware that he could force them into their corporal forms, they would no longer remain disinterested in confrontation...

Up to this point, the fourth floor was by far the most ominous. There were less traditional graves. Instead, it was primarily dedicated to elaborate, auriferous, pokemon shrines. Despite the heavy ghostly presence, there were still people scattered amidst the level. Several were cloaked in the same, white, occult outfits, evocative to the robes of a Shinto Priest. Few of the supposed channelers paid him any mind, albeit the ones that did stared at him with vacant eyes—similar to that of a drowzee. It gave him the creeps, even more so than the looming presence of the supernaturally hidden ghosts.

"Alright, Growlithe, nod if it's on the next floor," whispered Ash, "I want to get out of this place ASAP."

Out of the corner of his eye, Ash watched Ivysaur and Charmander frantically nod their heads in agreement. Neither seemed to be too afraid, but it was obvious that everyone was on edge. Even Squirtle looked slightly distressed, in the eyes, as they felt the glares of the channelers fastened on their backs while beginning to walk up the next flight of stairs.

Finally, accompanied by a soft and reassuring bark, Growlithe nodded his head. The pleasant ghostly redolence was, in fact, on the next level.

Barring Squirtle, Ash and the rest of his pokemon breathed a massive sigh of relief in response to Growlithe's affirmation. In concurrence to the good news, they could also feel the nasty, phantasmal pressure begin to slightly lessen as they steadily approached the top of the stairwell.

"Alright, so you're sure it's on this level?" asked Ash as they walked out onto the least maleficent floor.

Growlithe nodded his head with an excited expression while emitting a convivial yip.

Before commanding Growlithe to use Odor Sleuth, Ash examined the room. The Pokemon Tower's fifth floor only bore a dozen graves—which was by far the least amongst all of the chambers. It was apparent that all twelve graves were frequently visited on account of the numerous fresh flowers piled at the base of each tombstone.

Suspended along the walls were the same eerie lanterns that were on the lower floors. However, the old-fashioned light sources in this chamber appeared to emit much more light than the fixtures on the lower floors. In addition, each one of the sealed graves was constructed with some sort of fine alloy such as gold, silver, or copper. To top it all off, there was a resplendent grand piano pushed into the far corner of the room. The magnificent instrument looked to have been recently polished. It sparkled elegantly amidst the irradiate chamber's lighting.

Ash was confused.

Including the adorned graves, the fifth floor felt slightly out of place. Compared to the rest of the tower, it was rather pleasant, producing the feel of a place you'd actually want to bury a loved one. Even though it was still pretty apparent that there was a surplus of ghost-types, besides the existing perceptual symptoms, Ash felt like he could relax a bit. There were no blatant feelings of apprehension in the midst of the room.

Ash's observation was suddenly cut short by the beautiful, yet eerie, sound of the massive keyboard instrument. No other humans were in the room, so at first, Ash was rather freaked out. He knew that a lot of electronic pianos could be programmed to play by themselves. However, in this situation, he had a feeling that wasn't the case.

More than likely, it was a ghost that was pressing down the keys on the large, classy instrument.

In response to the supernatural performance, Ash quickly glanced down at his friends. Ivysaur, Charmander, and Squirtle were presently fixated on the piano. Their expressions portrayed qualm and confusion, albeit Squirtle...who showed his minute emotions through his eyes. Growlithe, however, watched the performance with amicable eyes and a jovial countenance. The pup didn't seem to be disturbed in the slightest.

"Growlithe, I need you to use Odor Sleuth," implored Ash as he looked down at his friend. "Now."

The fire-type didn't need to mull it over. He immediately emitted a potent, invisible scent out of every single one of his exocrine glands. The pungent odor could be smelled by Ash and his friends as it diffused throughout the chamber. The piquant scent caused the dark-haired boy to cover his nose while he watched the surrounding ethereal beings slowly sputter into their corporal forms.

All in all, there were probably around ten gastly buoyantly floating around the room. The abhorrent, spherical ghosts seemed to be in a trance as they heedlessly ricocheted against one another like a bunch of mindless billiard balls.

"What in the world is going on?" asked Ash as he examined the many purple enshrouded gastlys' disoriented expressions. "Did Odor Sleuth put them in a trance?"

Growlithe adamantly shook his head before gesturing back towards the piano.

Floating above the piano's seat was a dark-purple being with a gaseous body. It had its two, three fingered, disembodied hands making precise contact with the grand piano's keys. The ghost-type, Ash recognized as a haunter, mysteriously had its rounded back to the rest of the room as its three spiked protrusions on both sides of its head quavered throughout the performance.

The dark-haired boy also noticed the vibrant, purple waves being synchronously emanated from the piano's soundboard. Ash had no way to be sure, but it looked as if the haunter was infusing hypnosis with the sound of the instrument. Intertwined with the sleep rendering power of hypnosis, the purple rays appeared to be a corporeal manifestation of the emitted sound waves. Simply put, the result was a super powered Sing and Hypnosis combination using the piano as an external catalyst for the move, Sing.

It was impressive...borderline ingenious.

Be that as it may, Ash was befuddled. Why was the evolved specimen hypnotizing its kin? Why wasn't he being hypnotized? Why weren't his pokemon being put to sleep? What were its motives?

…Why was Growlithe so interested in it? There had to be a reason.

Ash slowly crept forward while doing a good job of not running into the multiple, aimless, levitating gastly. He passed by the graves and over to the other side of the room. His pokemon were practically glued to his side throughout the covert advancement.

His heart thumped heavily, and his stomach turned, as he neared the wraithlike creature. It continued to carry out its tune, expertly using its ethereal extremities to dance across the keyboard like a concert pianist. Ash looked down at his pokemon for strength as he gradually shrunk the proximity between himself and the haunter. Charmander, Ivysaur, and Squirtle appeared to be just as unsure as he was, but Growlithe looked up at his trainer with definite eyes. His starter trusted that he was safe, therefore Ash moved forward.

The shadowy creature had yet to physically acknowledge Ash's presence; however, Ash knew it was aware of him. Just when the ten-year-old boy was close enough to reach out and touch the – now corporal – specter. The haunter crashed both of his disembodied hands onto the keyboard creating a loud, discordant sound.

"Holy crap!" bellowed Ash as he jumped back from the sudden cacophonous noise, reminiscent of his skittish friend Gary Oak.

Ivysaur, Charmander, and Squirtle followed suit before quickly gathering themselves to get into a defensive position.

Growlithe simply stood still, unsurprised by the haunter's antics.

The haunter continued to levitate with its back to the group as its ghoulish hands remained planted on the piano's keyboard. There was a drawled out moment of stillness as the gaggle of inharmonious notes echoed throughout the chamber. All of a sudden, like a jack-in-the-box on steroids, Haunter expeditiously turned around only to point and laugh at them hysterically.

Ash nearly fell over. The surprise was so overbearing that he felt like his heart was going to explode. Simultaneous to the jolt, he heard a large crash as Ivysaur, Charmander, and Squirtle released a flurry of their strongest elemental techniques, specifically: vine whip, water gun, and ember.

The dark-haired boy quickly suppressed his consternation, forcing himself to observe his surroundings. The haunter had barely avoided the attacks, managing to dart out of the way at the last second. Thankfully, the assailment didn't do too much damage to anything, most likely because the individual techniques weren't focused and were primarily an impulsive reaction.

Growlithe looked to be a little surprised, but, seemed to be amused as if he was at least partially aware of what was going to happen. At this point, Ash was completely sold on the concept of Growlithe's rumored ability to smell emotions. There was just way too much proof to think otherwise.

Thankfully, all of the gastly remained in comatose, aimlessly drifting under the influence of Haunter's hypnotic powers.

Ash refocused his attention on the evolved ghost-type, trying to do whatever he could to descry what was going on. When the haunter noticed that Ash's investigative eyes were fixated on him, he floated towards the boy concurrently putting forth a discordant, yet impish laughter.

It took Ash a little bit, but he eventually understood what was going on when he caught a good glimpse of Haunter's countenance.

"Squirtle, Charmander, Ivysaur—stand down!" commanded Ash as he smirked at the dark-purple poltergeist.

Despite their confusion regarding the ghost-type, the elemental trio loyally heeded their trainer's order

"It seems we've got ourselves a jokester," said Ash as Haunter surveyed him with its large, angled eyes.

Haunter responded with another outburst of amused laughter as it floated around Ash with its large mouth agape, ostensibly sizing him up.

Ash diverted his attention towards Growlithe as the fire-type spoke to Haunter in his native tongue. In reaction to Growlithe's murmurs, Haunter's tail quivered and his smile grew even larger.

Ash noticed that his other pokemon seemed to have relaxed. Whatever was going on between Growlithe and Haunter must have put them at ease. Prior to Growlithe's arbitration, even Squirtle was on edge; albeit, much more subtly than Ivysaur and Charmander.

Ash had no way to decipher exactly what Growlithe had said, howbeit he could portray his request. Over the past month, Ash and Growlithe's personalities had started to conform to one another. So, hopefully, Growlithe had done Ash a favor and prepped Haunter for what he was about to ask it.

"Hey, Haunter," crooned Ash, "I'm Ash Ketchum, a pokemon trainer. I've come to this tower in search of a powerful ghost pokemon. You're exactly what I'm looking for. How would you feel about a battle? If I win, you come with me. If you win, I won't bother you again."

Haunter didn't hesitate. He frantically nodded his body in agreement. Ash wasn't exactly a medium, but the rather jaunty ghost-type seemed to welcome the idea of being caught—which was strange given the fact that ghost pokemon were typically excruciatingly difficult to capture. Nonetheless, some pokemon just longed for adventure regardless of their species' typical behavior.

"Where do you want to do this?" asked Ash as he gestured towards all of the gastly. "This room is hardly suitable. There are too many other ghosts."

Haunter nodded his head dramatically while disemboguing a confirmatory guffaw.

"Do you have a place in mind?"

Haunter used one of his disembodied extremities to point towards the descending staircase before subsequently drifting towards it. Ash and his pokemon stood there for a moment until Haunter used one of his hands to gesture for them to follow. Ash shrugged before looking down at Ivysaur, Charmander, and Squirtle.

"Let's go guys," said Ash with an amused undertone.

The elemental trio nodded in concurrence while processing the outlandish situation. There was no need to address his starter; Growlithe had already begun to tail the congenial specter…

The amicable ghost-type led Ash and his friends down the multiple stairwells and out of the ominous tower. The trip down was a lot more comfortable than the trip up. The channelers on the fourth floor left them alone entirely, probably because they were being escorted by a corporeal ghost. And the phantasmal pressure had significantly decreased. Ash wasn't sure why, but it more than likely had something to do with Haunter.

Ash half expected some of the other ghosts in the tower to reveal their corporeal forms, but, they didn't. Even though one of their kin was openly anatomical, it seemed as though they would rather stay hidden. The ten-year-old boy knew he shouldn't have been surprised. Ghost's weren't typically loyal to anything, including their own kind, which was the biggest reason why so few trainers chose to a take chance on them. They tended to live in groups, but there was no real camaraderie. Apparitional pokemon were inherently selfish and internally absorbed. The other ghosts in the tower, more than likely, could't care less if one of their brethren was captured—especially one that was so much different.

As they exited the building, Haunter got a lot of confused stares from the people visiting the outdoor graveyard. Ash figured that, although Lavender Town was well known for their ghost-type infestation, it was seldom that anyone from the town actually saw one. There was no reason for wild ghost-types to reveal their physical bodies. The only time they needed to become corporeal was to feed or to engage in battle.

Most ghost-types stuck to dreams, but some of the more insidious beings ate life-force. One of the biggest reasons why ghosts usually lived in packs was that they fed off of each other. Practically all pokemon were smart enough to figure out that it was stupid to attack humans. Just like how the League had a zero-tolerance policy for pokemon abuse, they were even stricter with pokemon that attacked humans. If a ghost-type was to maim or kill a human, chances are the League would wipe them out with a legion of dark-types. Sometimes the more powerful apparitions, such as gengar, would go after pokemon of other species. But, it was rare. Wild gengar were typically territorial and didn't like to leave their unearthly roosts...

Haunter ignored the many stares and led them around to the back of the tower. All that could be seen was a glut of baneful vegetation, concretely: weeping willows, leafless birch trees, and spooky looking shrubs.

The evolved poltergeist had them lumber their way through the thick, irritating underbrush. Haunter simply passed through it like a man walks through insubstantial molecules.

On the other side of the brush was a relatively plain clearing. The grass was dead, and there was nothing else worth mentioning. All in all, it was a pretty good place to battle.

Even though he could easily clean up after any mess he made, he'd rather stay away from using either of his fire-types. The defoliated area was too dry to let a fire last more than a short while in fear of spreading. And he'd rather not have Squirtle running around like a doduo with one of its heads cut-off trying to put out every stray fire.

Ivysaur could probably handle the challenge, but Ash would rather use his water-type. Squirtle worked best from long range, and that was typically the best way to defeat a ghost without a distinct type advantage. Besides, Squirtle had Bite in his repertoire—which was super-effective against ghosts. Other than maybe Growlithe, he was definitely his best available option.

Haunter proceeded to drift out into the middle of the clearing, patiently waiting for the start of the battle. The apparition buoyantly levitated in the air, putting forth a discordant outburst of laughter in the process.

Ash's pokemon all looked up at him, waiting to find out who would get to face the spectral being. Growlithe didn't seem all that interested in battling. He was too amused by the specter's charisma to want to fight it. Ash could tell that, if things went over smoothly, Growlithe would definitely have a new friend to play with.

Ivysaur and Charmander both appeared to be interested in battling Haunter, but not like Squirtle. The water-type looked at Ash with adamant eyes—which happened to be about as deep as the turtle's emotions could get. So, although Ivysaur and Charmander looked up at Ash with hopeful expressions, Squirtle's piercing eyes were practically begging him to pick him.

Ash didn't have a problem with it. He'd already decided to go with his water-type in the first place.

"This battle is all yours, Squirtle," said Ash with a smirk. "Let's show Haunter what we're all about."

The turtle pokemon emitted a low, alto-toned grunt as he vigorously stepped forward for battle.

"Are you ready, Haunter?!" howled Ash with a smile as he gestured for the rest of his pokemon to step back. "Let's see what you've got!"

The ghost-type jovially bounced up and down in the air. Ash could tell it was excited to engage in what was to come.

Ash looked down at his non-participating partners for support. Growlithe, Ivysaur, and Charmander simultaneously nodded, ready to watch the match unfold.

"First move's all yours, Haunter!" hollered Ash. The poltergeist had been rather courteous outside of his welcoming prank; the least Ash could do was let him initiate the battle.

In response to Ash's exclamation, Haunter oddly gestured each of his disembodied hands at Squirtle. The apparition put forth a jeering burst of laughter before emanating a bizarre, dark-purple wave of spectral energy at Squirtle. Ash wasn't exactly an expert when it came to ghosts, but it looked like a Night Shade attack. He'd watched some of the ghost-type master Agatha's battles on television and recalled seeing the technique used. He wasn't entirely sure, but he thought he remembered it to be a relatively medial damaging move with extremely high-accuracy.

Squirtle tried to dodge as the ominous energy whisked through the air like a gust of wind. While he darted out of the way, the turtle pokemon realized he wouldn't be able to clear the entirety of the ethereal technique's scope. He withdrew into his shell at the last possible moment minimizing the damage. He was slightly clipped on the lower half of his legs. The contact from the ghostly technique was more draining than painful. He could feel a slight bit of his energy being whisked away into oblivion.

The turtle pokemon's shell sputtered throughout the air for a short moment after contact. In subsequence to the Night Shade, the testudine reptile quickly reemerged from his biological shield. While in the air, the water-type reached into his internal water reservoir and loaded his gullet with enough water for a couple of high-pressure Water Guns. When his feet touched the ground, he unloaded on the ethereal being's corporeal form.

The ghost-type hissed as it was struck by the first blast of water. However, it managed to dodge the rest of the barrage, dashing through the air like an intelligent cloud of smoke. Squirtle didn't let up. The emotionless water-type continued to impel Water Guns while calculating the ghost-types trajectory.

Haunter managed to continue to avoid the flurry. The ghost-type appeared to be quite skilled when it came to perfunctory maneuverability. During a momentary break in the enfilade of Water Guns, while Squirtle reached into his internal reservoir, Haunter used his shadowy hands to disembogue a ray of auroral pink.

Ash instantaneously recognized the technique as Hypnosis, albeit, it was a different variation than what the apparition had conjured on the piano.

"Dodge!" howled Ash vigorously.

Unfortunately, it was just a distraction; ghosts never failed to be deceptive.

Squirtle easily dodged the hypnotic strike only to be bombarded by a flanking Haunter. The corporeal ghost winded back its nebulous fist before striking Squirtle in the side of his face with a powerful Sucker Punch. The water-type was impelled across the clearing. He emitted several painful grunts as he turbulently rolled across the dead grass like a golem using Rollout.

"Withdraw!" howled Ash as he watched his water-type uncomfortably falter.

Squirtle mentally digested his trainer's cry and managed to enshroud himself within his natural protection. When he slowed down enough to reemerge, he did so, simultaneously releasing a flurry of chemically induced bubbles. They aimlessly floated through the air. Squirtle anxiously bit the side of his mouth as he watched the bubbles waver towards the laughing poltergeist.

The spectral being dashed towards the ground; a fraction of a second before it phased through the defoliated earth, it cried out in pain as it was hit by a volatile bubble. Almost synchronously, it reappeared behind Squirtle with a wry expression painted across its face. Haunter's fist was enshrouded in black energy as it prepared to bring it down on Squirtle.

"Behind you!" bellowed Ash. "Bite!"

Squirtle pivoted expeditiously. Right before the ghost planted its shadowy knuckles into the turtle pokemon, he managed to embed his teeth into Haunter. Both pokemon shrieked out in agony as they felt the other's focused attack course throughout their bodies. Although Haunter's Shadow Punch managed to create separation between the two battling pokemon, it didn't do so until Squirtle was able to cause significant damage with Bite. Even though it was typically transparent, Bite's dark energy was visible when used against the highly afflicted ghost. Ash watched the black static of Squirtle's Bite trickle throughout its body as the ghost-type shrieked like a banshee.

While Haunter sporadically fidgeted in the air, Squirtle was forced to one knee as the agonizing, ghostly impact streaked throughout his existence. He cried out in pain while he desperately tried to force himself back onto his feet. Despite the struggle, the emotionless water-type managed. His knees wobbled and his arms shook as he stood resolutely in front of the gaseous apparition.

Squirtle looked Haunter in its intimidating, angled eyes as the ghost-type afflictively twitched. Regardless of his current status, the turtle Pokemon had no doubt in his mind that he would win this battle. He watched intensely while the shadowy creature shakily raised its hands for another caliginous Night Shade. As Squirtle dug deep into his will power, he felt a massive pull from deep inside his internal reservoir. He'd felt this sensation before; however, it was a long, long time ago.

Ash and the rest of his pokemon watched in astonishment as Squirtle was enshrouded within a hurricane of rampant water. The ten-year-old boy witnessed Haunter's eyes bulge with fear when he saw the dense aqua fortress constrict against Squirtle's body creating a thin layer of glowing, yet transparent, precipitation. It looked like a blue, auroral cloak glistening against the water-type's reptilian skin. Ash knew what it was. It was Squirtle's dynamic ability: Torrent.

Torrent is a power boosting ability that ignites when the user is on its last leg. Essentially, it nearly doubles the strength of a water-type's elemental techniques. Simply put, for a short amount of time, Squirtle just got _a lot_ stronger.

The gleaming water-type proved his temporary, newfound strength by unleashing a battery of authoritatively fast Water Guns. The high-pressured streaks of water shot through the atmosphere as fast as an infuriated bullet, piercing the air in search of their target. Ash watched Squirtle follow his shots, leaning his head forward and throwing his arms behind his back. The little, glowing beast looked like an aqua based torpedo as he sprinted behind his technique at an expeditious rate.

Haunter managed to dodge one of the Torrent enhanced Water Guns, but was hit by the other three. The evolved ghost-type howled as the triplet of water bullets collided with its corporeal body. If the super powered Water Guns weren't enough then Squirtle's next attack definitely was. He concealed himself behind his barrage while closing the proximity between himself and the apparition. When he was close enough to touch the, already weary, ghost; he heard his trainer's command.

"Close ranged Bubble, now!"

Squirtle disembogued a tenacious Bubble attack at point blank range, resulting in a high-pitched scream. The duration of the strike was short given the basis of the technique. When the non-existent aftermath settled, Haunter sunk to the defoliated earthy surface, unconscious and phasing in and out of his corporeal form.

Ash quickly pulled the great ball, Austin had given him, out of his coat pocket before lofting it at the benumbed ghost-type. Due to battling Haunter until unconsciousness, Ash figured a pokeball would have sufficed. However, the ten-year-old boy inferred that the gaseous pokemon was worthy of one of the blue and red upgraded capture-devices. Besides, he had three of them—might as well put them to use.

When the great ball made contact with Haunter, the ethereal being was masked in a ray of dazzling red light. The scintillating illumination wafted in the air for a split-second before being briskly sucked into the capture device. The great ball fell from suspension before promptly clicking upon impact with the ground. Haunter had been caught. He was now in possession of a new ally...one that was capable of standing up against the mighty Sabrina.

In precedence to retrieving Haunter's great ball, Ash checked on Squirtle who was surrounded by Ivysaur, Charmander, and Growlithe. The turtle pokemon was lying on his back utterly exhausted. Torrent had left him with nothing—an unfortunate side-effect of the temporary power boost.

"You fought well," crooned Ash as he crouched down to talk to his battered water-type.

Squirtle huffed in response. He was clearly too worn down to do much else.

Ivysaur, Charmander, and Growlithe showered the turtle pokemon in praise before Ash spoke up once again.

"I'll get you to the Pokemon Center before we head out," said Ash while holding Squirtle's pokeball over his tired body, "until then, take a rest. You deserve it."

Squirtle emitted an acquiescent grunt, and smiled with his eyes, as the pokeball's intramural energy returned him into a timeless sequester.

After reattaching Squirtle's pokeball to his trainer belt, Ash walked over to Haunter's great ball with his friends right behind him. He half expected the blue and red orb to vanish due to transportation, but it didn't. Not that he doubted Bill, but he was still rather flabbergasted that he had managed to get his carry-limit nullified.

As he held his seventh pokemon's capture device in his sweaty hand, he couldn't help but smile. He had finally captured a ghost pokemon...one of the species that he had desired to catch when he first set out in his journey. Ivysaur, Charmander, and Squirtle's captures felt almost like anointed gifts. He hadn't planned to catch any of them. It just kind of happened. Not that he was complaining, he loved his elemental friends dearly. However, Haunter's evolutionary line was one that he had planned to go after all along. Therefore, like Clefairy and Pidgeotto, he felt like he had accomplished one of his many requisite goals. It felt good. It made him feel capable.

His intramural reflection was broken as he felt a firm pull on his pant leg. The ten-year-old boy looked down to find an eager Charmander trying to get his attention.

"What is it, buddy?" asked Ash. "Is something wrong?"

The fire-lizard grabbed his cream colored belly as it unintentionally disembogued a sound that was similar to that of a grumpy poliwrath.

"Hungry, eh?" questioned Ash with an amused smile as he listened to Charmander's growling stomach once again cry out for help. "We'll get a bite to eat at the Pokemon Center. We might as well get a free meal before we hit the road."

Ivysaur and Growlithe put forth a couple of positive squeals as they nodded in agreement. Now that Ash thought about it, his pokemon hadn't eaten since before the tournament yesterday. They deserved a good meal.

"Alright, let's go get a bite to eat and have Nurse Joy heal Haunter and Squirtle," suggested Ash as he listened to his own stomach growl like an ursaring. "Then we'll go meet up with Austin and Wallace."

Growlithe, Charmander, and Ivysaur happily agreed before Ash led them west, back towards the Pokemon Center.

XXX

The sun had already set as Ash uncomfortably straddled his airborne pidgeotto. In attempt to shield his eyes from the vexatious wind, the ten-year-old boy rested his forehead on Pidgeotto's broad neck. His disgruntled avian was flying much more careless than usual, presumably on account of his brutal loss to Austin's fearow. Ash expected Pidgeotto to be sour over his defeat for a while, especially since he lost to his inherent primordial enemy.

Ash decided that the best thing to do was to let Pidgeotto work it out on his own. He could bear a short, unpleasant flight if it meant Pidgeotto would learn a lesson. The flying-type needed to be brought back down to earth. He wasn't the strongest flying-type in the skies, yet. It was something he was starting to believe before the loss. The king of pidgeotto had been humbled. Hopefully, it would lead to an even stronger urge to train.

They were rapidly approaching Wallace and Austin's current location. Just like the Champion had speculated, it wasn't a long flight. The coordinates Wallace had sent to Ash's xtranceiver, while he was waiting for Haunter and Squirtle to be healed at the Pokemon Center, indicated that he was currently only about five minutes away from their campsite.

Ash couldn't wait to show them his new haunter. During their brief conversation over the phone back at the Pokemon Center, Ash had kept his ghost-type's identity a secret. He wanted to surprise his older friends. More than likely, they were expecting him to show up with a weaker gastly.

Right before he left Lavender Town, he had released his new ghost-type. Haunter was a little disoriented at first—a pokemon's first experience inside of a pokeball was typically jarring. Nevertheless, the corporeal apparition eventually gathered his impish composure. Ash used their first brief encounter as partners to explain to Haunter his expectations and their current circumstances. The jaunty creature simply laughed and nodded a whole bunch. Ash wasn't positive, but it seemed as though Haunter was just thrilled to get out of that dreadful tower, which made things a whole lot easier. In terms of having a trainer, ghosts usually had a very difficult time adjusting. Ash was elated he wouldn't be having that problem. His ghost-type was unusual to say the least, and he had zero qualms about it.

Ash mused for a couple more minutes before he felt Pidgeotto begin to descend. Despite the turbulent wind, he looked down at the shadowy, verdant woodlands from a bird's vantage point. In the distance, the boy could see a bright, orange glow slightly hidden within the thick brushwood. There was a slight waft of smoke that could be smelt from afar—the unmistakable scent of a campfire.

"There!" hollered Ash as he pointed at the luminous glow. "They're over there!"

In response to Ash's exclamation, Pidgeotto discordantly squawked, clearly annoyed. He'd seen the campfire with his keen eyes a while ago; hence the reason why he'd already begun to lose altitude.

Ash held on tightly as Pidgeotto shackled his wings and pierced the heavens with his spearlike beak. The king natured pidgeotto entered into a steep descent, jetting towards the trees at a tremendous speed. The affliction of riding bareback instantly reminded Ash of why he needed a saddle. After today, he'd do whatever he could to avoid riding Pidgeotto until he evolved.

Right before Pidgeotto approached the tree tops, he liberated his wingspan, allowing resistance to slow himself down. He then proceeded to strategically flap his wings while lowering himself into the thick, brush-covered woods. All the while, Ash held on tightly as he looked down at the earth's hardy surface. He frowned when he watched the rich soil be disrupted by Pidgeotto's oversized talons raking against the living earth.

In concurrence to the avian stretching out his talons to land, Ash spotted Wallace and Austin who we're looking up from their meals with entertained expressions. In response to Pidgeotto's rough landing, the ten-year-old boy squinched his face and ground his teeth. Flying on Pidgeotto bareback was brutal enough. Landing was absolutely grueling, especially, when the colossal flying-type was in a bad mood.

"Damn! You better work on that landing!" heckled Austin as Ash gingerly disembarked from his massive pidgeotto. "That looked brutal!"

Wallace simply chuckled. Austin had pretty much summed it up with his chide remark.

Ash shot Pidgeotto an indignant glare. "He's just cranky. His loss to Fearow has got him acting like a brat."

Pidgeotto huffed before looking the other way. Ash wasn't positive, but he was pretty sure that the flying-type felt bad. Either that or he was just being overdramatic.

Ash let out a guilty sigh, on account of his disgruntled jab, before handling Pidgeotto's empty pokeball. "Thanks for the ride, though. Have a good rest."

With a flash of red light, Ash briskly returned the avian before focusing his attention back on Wallace and Austin.

"The big guy doesn't handle losing very well, does he?" asked Austin as Ash sat down next to the warm campfire.

"Not at all," retorted Ash with a groan.

"Eh, that's how any worthwhile flying-type is," replied Austin with a shrug, "there's a lot of pride in the typing. When Fearow loses it's like the friggin world's about to end. One good victory usually gets him straightened out, though."

Ash nodded. Pidgeotto had only lost one other time, but it had played out identically to Austin's depiction. All it took was one win for Pidgeotto to get out of his attitude funk, albeit he still bears a fair amount of animosity towards the graveler species.

"So…how'd it go, kiddo?" interjected Wallace with a curious cast, "How was the tower?"

"It went really well," answered Ash with a big smile, "I caught a ghost."

"Of course you did," mumbled Austin after taking an oversized bite out of his tofu, "I told you not to come here until you did."

Ash rolled his eyes as Wallace leaned forward with an interested expression.

"What did you catch?" asked the foreign Champion as he scanned Ash's trainer belt.

"I'll show you in a second," said Ash with a smile. "First, I'm going to release my clefairy. It's nice out, and I haven't gotten a chance to see her since yesterday."

"Very well," replied Wallace. "Go ahead.

"You have a clefairy?" asked Austin incredulously as Ash casually unclipped her pokeball from his belt. "How'd you get one of those?"

Ash enlarged Clefairy's pokeball while he answered, "I found her inside of Mt. Moon. It's kind of a long story."

The dark-haired boy proceeded to release his fairy-type. She looked around at her surroundings in a confused manner as the bright flash of light faded into obscurity.

"We're on our way to Saffron City," said Ash to his fairy-type. "A lot has happened since the SS _Anne_ tournament. I'll have Growlithe fill you in later. That way you can ask questions."

Clefairy politely nodded before curiously eyeing Wallace and Austin.

"This is Austin," said Ash as he gestured towards the chiseled faced teenager, "he's a friend. We'll be traveling with him for the next couple of days."

"Hey, Clefairy," said Austin with ogling eyes before directing his gaze back towards Ash. "Dude, she's freaking adorable…"

Clefairy waved to the teen bashfully, after his comment, while Ash lightly chuckled and gestured towards Wallace.

"And in case you don't remember, this is Wallace," said Ash, "You met him aboard the ship. We'll also be traveling with him until Saffron."

"Hello, Clefairy," said Wallace with kind eyes and a benign smile. "It's nice to see you again."

The fairy pokemon respectfully curtsied as she recalled meeting the cultured man on the deck of the giant ship.

"So, how'd you catch Clefairy?" asked Wallace, trying to initiate a good conversation, "You said it was a long story."

"That's because it is," said Ash with a shrug, "However, if you want to hear it, I don't mind telling you guys."

"Do tell," blurted Austin, "I've never actually met a trainer with a clefairy before. I'm sure the story behind the capture is awesome."

"It's definitely interesting," said Ash with a slight smile as he looked down at his precious fairy-type.

His lone female pokemon looked up at him with an affable expression before affectionately snuggling up next to him.

"Well, where should I start?" muttered Ash as he recalled the memory from over a month ago, "I guess the best place to begin would be when Growlithe and I entered the mountain…"

Clefairy instantly perked up. She'd never actually heard the story from Ash's perspective before, nor had she ever really thought to ask.

Wallace and Austin proceeded to sit up in their spots, blatantly engaged as Ash began to tell the story. It took the ten-year-old boy nearly twenty minutes to get through the whole thing, and by the end of it, Wallace and Austin were looking at him with wide eyes and slacked jaws.

"Hold on, so let me get this straight," stammered Austin in disbelief, "So...you're telling me that this old, talking clefable let you take Clefairy with you because you were handpicked by some massive meteor god to take part in their evolution ceremony."

"Mhmm…" said Ash with a simple nod.

"And this talking clefable gave you a chunk of the _original_ moonstone?" asked Wallace, evidently flabbergasted.

"Yup, that pretty much sums it up," said Ash, "Do you want to see it?"

Both older trainers frantically nodded their heads as Ash reached over and grabbed his backpack.

"Clefairy, I need you to step back for a bit," said Ash. "I don't want you to be tempted to touch it. That would be a disaster. You've got a lot to learn before you're ready to evolve.

Clefairy groaned, but obediently obliged. She knew her trainer was right, although she wished he wasn't. She couldn't wait to evolve. With evolution would come a newfound strength that she was incapable of as a clefairy. Unfortunately, the only way to reach the peak of her potential was to wait until she mastered her moveset. Clefable are meant to battle and teach. Clefairy are structured to learn. Other than TM's, a clefable can't learn any techniques after evolution—an idiosyncratic side-effect of some evolutionary stones. Simply put, she had a long, long time to go until she could experience the strength of her elder, enhanced kin.

Once Clefairy was a fair proximity away from the group, Ash pulled out the esoteric stone fragment. It oscillated in color, fluctuating between auroral shades of pink, blue, and purple.

Ash trustingly passed it over to Wallace so that the Champion could get a better look. The turquoise haired master inspected it with gleaming eyes as he gently rubbed his fingers around its crevasses. "It's beautiful…"

Ash could tell that Wallace was a sucker for allurement as he reluctantly passed it over to Austin.

Ash took a brief moment to check on Clefairy, who seemed to be handling the situation quite well, before observing Austin's reaction to the primordial moonstone fragment.

"Well, it's definitely a lot cooler than the normal moonstone I used to evolve my nidorino into a nidoking," said Austin before carefully handing it back over to Ash.

"You have a nidoking?" questioned Ash with interest, "Are they as loyal as people say?"

"Words don't do the species justice," answered Austin with a smile, "They're about as loyal as an arcanine. Maybe even more so if trained right. Don't ever mess with one in the wild, though. A nidoking's loyalty to his herd is extremely dangerous."

"I can only image…" mused Ash as unwanted images of himself running away from a herd of nidoking racked his brain.

Ash's rumination was broken by Wallace's silvery-toned voice. "So, Ash, do you think we can see that ghost-type now?"

Clefairy instantly looked up at her trainer before emitting an inquisitive squeal. She had yet to meet the gaseous apparition.

"Oh yeah," said Ash as he put the moonstone fragment back in his backpack before removing Haunter's great ball from his coat pocket. "I'd almost forgotten about that."

"We got wrapped up in your story," replied Wallace as he used a long, thick stick to move the fire's logs around in order to provide a burst of oxygen to the flame.

"That's cause it was awesome," blurted Austin while tossing his cheap, disposable chopsticks into the fire. "Now let's see it."

In response to his friends request, Ash pressed the release button on his shiny great ball. In a flash of bright light, Haunter was revealed. The poltergeist instantly checked out his surroundings with his angled eyes before using his disembodied hands to comically make funny faces by stretching his shadowy face.

The campsite instantaneously burst into laughter as they watched the riotous ghost-type's amusing display.

"A haunter, eh?" queried Austin as he wiped the laughing tears from his eyes. "Is he always like this because that was freaking hilarious?"

"Outside of battle, I don't think he's ever serious," Ash chuckled. "That's okay, though. Every pokemon's got a different personality. As long as he takes training and battling seriously, I don't have any problem with his antics."

Out of the corner of his eye, Ash blithely watched Haunter entertain Clefairy by humorously crossing his eyes and distending his tongue while Wallace replied.

"Nor should you," said Wallace as he tried to cease his laughter. "It looks to me like Haunter's got a wonderful personality. It's rare that you come across a ghost as charismatic as this one."

"My thoughts exactly," inserted Austin with a grin, "I'm not typically a fan of ghosts, but I like this guy. What moves does he know?"

"Well, he used Shadow Punch, Sucker Punch, Hypnosis, and Night Shade in our battle," retorted Ash while digging through his backpack in search of his pokedex, "Other than those four, I don't know. I'll have to check."

Once Ash finally found his pokedex buried underneath an onslaught of items and clothing, he proceeded to scan his newest pokemon.

"_Haunter - the gas pokemon – because of its ability to slip through block walls, it is said to be from another dimension. By licking, it paralyzes its opponents. It causes shaking that won't cease until the victims demise. Typically, they are dangerous pokemon. If one beckons you in the dark, do not approach it. They eat dreams and sometimes life force. In darkness, where nothing is visible, haunter lurks. This haunter is male. current moveset: Hypnosis, Lick, Spite, Mean Look, Curse, Night Shade, Confuse Ray, Sucker Punch, Shadow Punch. Ability: Levitate."_

Ash whistled; he wasn't expecting Haunter's moveset to be quite so developed.

"Pretty good…" drawled Austin as he scooted back from the fire and wiped the sweat from his forehead, "especially, for a newly captured pokemon."

"I second that," answered Wallace, "also, it sounds to me like he barely used any of his non-physical moves against you. Interesting…it's almost like he was trying to give you an even battle without status conditions."

Ash scratched the back of his head as he mulled it over. "Is that true Haunter? Did you go easy on me?"

Haunter took an abrupt break from making Clefairy giggle and looked at Ash conscience-stricken. His spikes drooped, and his smile receded into a frown, as he guiltily gazed at his new trainer.

"Yup, you've been caught," heckled Ash as he patted Haunter atop his head, careful to avoid the corporeal spikes. "It's okay, though. No need to feel bad. I get that you wanted to come with me. Just promise me you won't compromise a battle again, okay?"

Haunter quickly lightened up. His spikes erected once again, and his face contorted back into its usual flippant expression as he buoyantly nodded his body up and down. In response to Haunter's peculiar behavior, the group of trainers lit up the campsite with laughter once more. They continued to joyfully visit for about another hour until everyone was hit by a wave of tired yawns.

"We should probably get some rest," said Wallace as he put out the fire. "We've got a lot of ground to cover tomorrow."

"Agreed," retorted Austin as he slipped into his already prepared sleeping bag. "Wallace, what time do you want to get moving?"

"Eh, eight would be good," replied Wallace, "What do you think, Ash?

"Whatever you think is best," said Ash while rolling out his heavy-duty sleeping bag with the help of Clefairy. "I may get up earlier than that to train."

Ash made sure to keep an eye on Haunter, who appeared to be listening attentively while floating around the campsite with a smile on his face. Despite Haunter's evident good-nature, he was still a ghost that liked to pull pranks. Ash felt a little bit more comfortable around the apparition if he knew where he was.

"Alright then," answered Wallace after completely putting out the fire and beginning to get comfortable in his own sleeping bag. "I'll set the alarm on my pokegear to eight.

"Sounds good," snickered Ash as he talked over the already snoring Austin.

Once Ash's sleeping bag was prepared, he reluctantly returned his new ghost-type before sliding inside of it like a chrysalis. Clefairy elected to stay outside of her pokeball for the night. Apparently, she was way too comfortable snuggled up with her trainer to go back inside of her pokeball. Plus, Ash had a feeling she wanted to make sure he was safe. He had already decided to leave Growlithe in his pokeball for the night. The pup deserved some good rest in suspended animation without having to worry about an ambush. Especially, after the events aboard the SS _Anne,_ and today's adventure inside of the haunted Pokemon Tower.

"Good night, Ash…" mumbled Wallace as the Champion drifted off into comatose.

Ash just lay there underneath the night sky, for a couple of minutes, thinking back on the craziness of the past twenty-four hours. As he nodded off, he felt the comfort of Clefairy's small, two-clawed hands grappling onto his shirt.

XXX

Ash jerked up in his sleeping bag as his dreams were dauntingly ambushed by vivid images of Chance Chapman's mangled body and the deceased members of Team Rocket. The ten-year-old boy was drenched in a heavy sweat, and his heart was beating faster than a hyperactive electron.

Clefairy promptly jumped out of the sleeping bag before sporadically looking around the campsite for an intruder. It was still dark out, and she couldn't hear a single threatening signature movement pattern within the surrounding area.

While he desperately tried to calm his breathing, Ash quickly deciphered that his spontaneous anxiety was caused by a nightmare.

"It was just a bad dream," gasped Ash to Clefairy as he surveyed the campsite.

Clefairy slightly relaxed as Ash synchronously noticed that Austin and Wallace were still sleeping. The dark-haired boy took a deep breath, in order to gather himself, while Clefairy unloaded her light body back into the comfortable heavy-duty sleeping bag.

Ash gently patted his fairy-type on the head, trying to quench her distress, before checking the time on his xtranceiver. It was 4:47 A.M. The alarm clock on his device was set for five o'clock anyhow, so he stood out of his sleeping bag and stretched his stiff body. In concurrence, Ash looked down to watch Clefairy imitate him, stretching her tiny compact muscles as well. Ash figured she probably didn't sleep all that much: clefairy are nocturnal after all.

Ash quickly suppressed any looming thoughts concerning his nightmare. He couldn't control what his subconscious spewed out during his sleep. Regardless of how frightening waking up to such a collage of images was, he wouldn't allow them to debilitate him. Maybe he'd let Haunter eat his dreams if they started to get out of control.

The ten-year-old boy proceeded to roll up his sleeping bag before stuffing it inside of his backpack's back pocket. He wasn't quite sure how long he'd be out training, but he'd rather not have to rush to do it when he got back.

After hoisting his backpack around his sore shoulders, and affixing his cap over his messy hair, Ash beckoned Clefairy to follow him outside of the campsite. He thought about leaving his sleeping friends a note, but decided it wasn't necessary. If they needed to get a hold of him, they could just call his xtranceiver. Ash couldn't even begin to describe how helpful Bill's unexpected gift to him had been. The xtranceiver simply made everything _way_ more convenient.

It didn't take Ash too long to find an appropriate sized clearing. About a half a mile west of the campsite was a beautiful, verdant glade. It wasn't overwhelmingly large, but there was definitely enough space to have a couple of his pokemon spar if need be. The spattered ground and the encompassing trees were rather moist. Therefore, he figured his fire-types should be fine to train without starting a fire that could endanger the environment.

In addition, situated to the side of the vast clearing was a mesmeric pond. The water was clear, and Ash could spot a multitude of goldeen and magikarp swimming at the bottom. On account of the enticing thought of one day commanding a monstrous gyarados, he momentarily thought about catching a magikarp. However, he ultimately decided against it. He already had a water-type he needed to train up, and magikarp required an unprecedented amount of time and effort to evolve.

In subsequence to checking out the small body of water, Ash addressed Clefairy. "Well, we got about three hours. We didn't do any one-on-one training aboard the SS _Anne_, so I'm kind of itching to resume mastering everybody's move pools. Do you want to go first?"

Clefairy excitedly nodded her head, signifying that she was ready to get started.

Ash extracted his pokedex from his back pocket before looking up the details concerning the new technique he wanted to teach Clefairy. After a quick review of the properties and steps involving Stored Power, Ash explained the details to his precious fairy-type.

"Alright, so please bear with me. This one sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is," warned Ash as he briefly looked down at Clefairy before gluing his eyes back onto the pokedex's miniature screen. "This is another technique that involves your thaumaturgic energy."

Clefairy instantly released an annoyed groan as she recalled the tedious process of mastering the thaumaturgic energy required to proficiently use Minimize.

"I said bear with me," said Ash sternly, "You've already gained good control over manipulating your internal thaumaturgic energy. It won't be nearly as difficult as Minimize. Properly learning how to conjure and maintain your thaumaturgic energy is half the battle when it comes to learning Stored Power. The rest should come rather naturally."

The fairy-type was skeptical, but decided to cease her complaints. She would master Stored Power regardless of how difficult it was, especially, if her trainer was expecting her to do so.

"Okay…" muttered Ash as he tapped on the pokedex screen, "so, it says here that the first step to learning Stored Power is to simply activate your thaumaturgic energy."

Clefairy looked up at him inquisitively as he continued to explain.

"When you were learning Minimize, we focused on willing your thaumaturgic energy to constrict and expand. A fairy type's thaumaturgic energy naturally desires to either absorb or repel. When you facilitated it into your cells, you were telling your thaumaturgic energy to either absorb the matter within your cells or to repel it, ultimately causing your body to shrink during the absorption phase and expand during the repel phase."

The fairy pokemon nodded, in response to Ash's words, as she looked within herself to test this supposed truth. For a brief moment, she called upon her thaumaturgic energy allowing it to simply course throughout her body without trying to direct it. She could feel the mystical energy's natural pull as it tried to absorb the atmosphere's pencircling molecular components.

She ceased her invisible test as she checked back into what Ash was trying to explain.

"Now, if you repel this thaumaturgic energy from the inside-out without any status moves occurring within the battle, you will create a damaging surge of energy relative to your current powerlevel."

Clefairy liked the sound of that. It appeared to be relatively uncomplicated, just like her trainer had suggested.

"Why don't you try it?" asked Ash while simultaneously backing up. "Let's just see what happens. I'll explain the rest after."

Clefairy murmured acquiescently while waiting for her trainer to create a decent sized gap in proximity. Once Ash was nearly backed up against the clearing's tree line, the fairy-type looked deep within herself. She mentally grabbed a hold of all of her procreated thaumaturgic energy before fighting off the urge to manipulate it in order to minimize. In precedence to pushing it outward, she let it course throughout her body for a couple of seconds. The strain was slightly exhausting, but she managed to expel the power outside of her tiny body.

Ash watched – impressed – as Clefairy's entire body disembogued an iridescent efflux of unrestricted power. The surge was both horizontal and circumferential, albeit limited in overall expanse. Stored Power would primarily have to be used from close range—at least as it stands now. As the opalescent array ceased, Ash jogged back up to his fairy-type.

"Good," praised Ash with a grin. "That was perfect. You repelled your thaumaturgic energy. Now, show me how fast, you think, you can recover it."

Clefairy grunted before converting some of the lunar essence that was stored within her wings into thaumaturgic energy. The flow of energy resulted in an intramural ignition. Her thaumaturgic energy had been restored by the help of her small, mystic wings. Clefairy proceeded to nod, signifying that her energy bank had been replenished.

"That was a lot faster than I expected," muttered Ash as he crouched down to Clefairy's level. "Now, we're going to try and make it stronger."

Clefairy tilted her head as she peered at him with inquisitive eyes.

"The main point of Stored Power is to use it as a counterattack against pokemon that like to boost their strength with status techniques," informed Ash as he detached Squirtle's pokeball from his belt. "Let's give it a try."

The dark-haired boy quickly released Squirtle, who instantly used his eyes to survey the glade. Ash could tell right away that, even though squirtle had been treated with Nurse Joy's restoration machine, he was still recovering from the exhaustion of being pushed to use Torrent against Haunter.

"How are you feeling, Squirtle?" asked Ash as he approached his emotionless turtle pokemon.

The cold featured water-type responded with an alto-toned grunt as he waited to find out why he had been called upon.

"I'm training Clefairy right now," informed Ash while looking Squirtle directly in the eyes. "We're working on a move called Stored Power. I need you to raise your defense with Withdraw. We're not sparring, her technique just requires a pokemon to use a status boosting technique. Withdraw should do the trick."

Most trainers that didn't know anything about Withdraw assumed that it basically just served as a shield. However, even though that is one of its major purposes, Withdraw also acts as a way to temporarily enhance a pokemon's defense by significantly toughening their skin. Ash wasn't exactly an expert when it came to the science involved, but every time a pokemon enshrouds itself, they emit some type of exocrine solvent that strengthens its flesh.

Ash turned his attention back to Clefairy as he explained to her what would happen next. "Now, when Squirtle uses Withdraw, I want you to constrict your thaumaturgic energy. The pokedex says that the user should be able to absorb all of the safe molecules that are close-by. Since status boosting techniques only enhance a pokemon's capabilities, you should be able to absorb Withdraw's essence into your Stored Power."

Clefairy nodded, as she turned her attention back towards Squirtle, while waiting for the water-type to use Withdraw.

"Go ahead, Squirtle," ordered Ash with a nod, signaling for the turtle pokemon to use his defense boosting technique, "Withdraw."

Squirtle instantaneously enshrouded himself within his shell. As he was concealed within his biological shield, he secreted a thin-layer of distinguished keratinocytes out of his epidermis. They instantly spread throughout his reptilian skin and strengthened his flesh.

"Clefairy, now!" exclaimed Ash, excitement evident in his intonation.

The fairy pokemon constricted the thaumaturgic energy flowing throughout her entity, causing her body to soak up all of the molecules lingering in the air around her. She could feel the essence of Squirtle's Withdraw being absorbed into her being as she internally pulled on her thaumaturgic energy like a fishermen yanks on his fishing rod.

As the essence of Squirtle's Withdraw intermixed with Clefairy's thaumaturgic energy, she could feel a slight enhancement within her Stored Power. Once it settled, she opened her eyes before smiling at her trainer in order to signify her success.

"Squirtle, get back!" bellowed Ash, before flashing Clefairy a look that beckoned for her to wait.

In precedence, while Clefairy held on to her Stored Power, the turtle pokemon quickly scuttled over to his trainer without a hint of an expression.

"Now!" blurted Ash excitedly as he focused on his tiny, pink, fairy pokemon.

The fairy-type discharged another blast of polychromatic energy, although this time it was slightly more potent. It was brighter in color and much more extensive. Ash's hair ruffled on account of the burst of wind evoked by the attack. Ash thought that maybe if there had been more status conditions to feed off of, Stored Power could have knocked the hat off of his head.

"Great job, Clefairy!" exclaimed Ash as he approached his fairy-type after the paroxysm had dissipated. "You're already starting to get the hang of it. All we've got left to do is make sure that you can maintain your thaumaturgic energy when there are multiple status moves involved."

Clefairy nodded, gladly welcoming the challenge. Up to this point, Stored Power had been relatively facile.

"Care to do a couple more Withdraws?" Ash asked Squirtle, requiring an abundance of the defensive technique's marrow.

The turtle pokemon shrugged indifferently before stepping out to perform the extremely rudimentary routine. As Squirtle repeatedly began to palpitate, in and out of his shell, Clefairy thought one thing…

Stored Power was a cinch compared to Minimize.

XXX

"Faster!" bellowed Ash as Charmander prepared to unload a Focus Punch into Squirtle's shell encased abdomen.

Despite the turtle pokemon's exhaustion, he dodged in order to avoid the powerful, but slightly laggard, endeavor.

The fire-lizard disembogued a groan of frustration as he loaded another Focus Punch with his opposite claw. His fist glowed within a luminous, white aura while he swiftly tried to bring it down atop Squirtle's hard skull.

The water-type's eyes intensely bulged as he moved to dodge the brisk haymaker. He managed to avoid the powerful punch, albeit only by a mere centimeter.

"Better!" howled Ash from across the clearing with a slight smirk on his face, "but still not fast enough!"

Charmander put forth another disgruntled snarl while he loaded one more Focus Punch.

Ash smiled as he watched Charmander's charge time diminish even more. This time it took him just over a second to procure a full-power Focus Punch. The fire-lizard swung his illuminated fist upward, striking Squirtle underneath the chin with a highly focused uppercut. The turtle pokemon was sent hurtling across the glade, emitting uncomfortable sounding grunts throughout the entire process.

"That's enough!" howled Ash as Charmander charged at a disoriented, but still standing, Squirtle, "we're done!"

The fire-lizard ceased his canter before quickly turning to Ash with a big, cheerful smile on his face.

Ash couldn't help but reciprocate the smile before answering, "Yup, that was it. You finally got it under your complete control. Awesome work, Charmander, I'm proud of you."

Charmander glanced at Ash, and emitted an elated squeal, before scampering over to Squirtle's side. The water-type gingerly rubbed his chin as he gave Charmander a quick nod of respect.

Ash wouldn't say that his water-type necessarily liked anybody on the team, but Ash had definitely come to learn that he at least respected Charmander. Squirtle was hard to read, but it seemed as if the turtle pokemon related well with Charmander because of their similar pasts. Ash had been planning on letting Squirtle rest today, outside of having him use Withdraw against Clefairy, on account of his exhaustion caused by utilizing Torrent. But, the turtle Pokemon insisted that he at least got to help with Charmander's Focus Punch training which, until today, had been a work in progress for the past couple of weeks.

However, finally – on account of Charmander's hard work and dedication – Focus Punch had been mastered.

"That was great," said Ash while he approached Charmander and Squirtle. "We've finally gotten a grip on your current moveset. Next time we train, we'll start to learn a new technique."

Charmander directed his attention back towards his trainer before tightly hugging the boy's leg.

Ash giggled in response to the predictable act of affection. Whenever Charmander felt like he had made his trainer proud, he tended to display a sudden burst of childlike fondness. Ash was almost positive that it was a side-effect of Damian's neglect. Being treated so poorly, for such a long period of time, had obviously taken a deep-rooted emotional toll on Charmander. The fire-lizard blatantly yearned for praise. Good thing Ash was more than happy to oblige.

As Charmander hugged Ash, the dark-haired boy looked down at his water-type while detaching Squirtle's empty pokeball from his belt. "Thanks for all of your help this morning, Squirtle. I really appreciate it. Now get some good rest, you need it."

In precedence to Squirtle being returned, the turtle pokemon acknowledged Ash's gratitude with a low, ratifying grunt. Despite Squirtle's near emotionless personality, Ash felt like they were slowly beginning to understand one another. Ash just hoped it carried over after Squirtle's impending evolution.

Once Squirtle's pokeball was securely fastened to Ash's trainer belt, Charmander looked up at him with wide, inquisitorial eyes.

Ash shrugged before opening his mouth to speak, "I'll have to look into what I want to teach you next. I know you're eager to keep going, but we actually finished mastering Focus Punch faster than I'd thought. Give me the rest of the day to do some research. By tomorrow, I'll have something for you to work on."

Charmander briefly looked disappointed that he was done training for the day before cheering up when Ash gently patted him on the head.

"Be patient," implored Ash as he placed his hands on his hips, "for now, just celebrate today's accomplishment. You finally mastered Focus Punch. That's something to be excited about. Don't worry about the next task until tomorrow. Okay…"

The fire-lizard soaked in Ash's words before nodding and grunting convivially. Ash knew what was best for him after all. Besides, he had plenty to be proud of. Just like his trainer had said, he'd finally mastered Focus Punch. For today...that was enough…

XXX

Pidgeotto leered at Ash as the fresh faced boy sifted through his pokedex in search of tips regarding Agility. The flying-type was still royally pissed-off on account of his loss to Fearow. And his animosity hadn't lessened now that he knew Ash was traveling with his inherent enemy's trainer—even if it was only for a few days.

Ash looked up from his pokedex with an annoyed expression, and eyed his avian, before shaking his head exasperatingly. "Will you stop it please? You're acting more like a snooty princess than a king."

Pidgeotto bitterly squawked, clearly inappreciative of his trainer's snide remark.

"You're only upset because you know it's true," ragged Ash while rolling his eyes. "It's just one loss—best you get over it sooner rather than later."

Despite Pidgeotto's indisposition towards his trainer's harsh words, he knew that Ash was right. Under normal circumstances, he would have gotten over it by now. He'd still be overwrought; he hated losing. But, he would have moved forward, ready to dish his accumulated anger out onto his next sorry opponent. However, the fact that his victor was a fearow left an overwhelmingly grotesque taste in his beak. His pride had been stomped on. He felt weak and humiliated.

It was a disgusting sensation.

Pidgeotto's self-destructive thoughts were suddenly breached by the sound of his trainer's earnest voice.

"I'm sorry if that was too blunt," said Ash with conviction, "but, a loss, is a loss. It doesn't matter if it is delivered by a fearow or a dragonite. The point is we lost, and we need to get stronger."

Pidgeotto looked down at the ground as he processed his trainer's fervent words. The bit about a loss being a loss went through one ear and out the other. He hated Fearow's species with a fiery passion and that wasn't going to just change on account of his trainer's idealistic oration.

However, there was a lot of truth in the part about getting stronger. He needed to train harder. He wasn't quite as strong as he thought he was. There's pokemon out there that exceeded his powerlevel by leaps and bounds, and he wanted to destroy that gap. He wouldn't stop until he was the strongest flying-type in the world, capable of manhandling anything that thought it could fly in _his_ skies.

When Pidgeotto lifted his head up to his trainer, Ash noticed a fiery glint in the bird's intense eyes. The ten-year-old boy could tell that something he had said had fired his avian up. Ash simply shrugged unsure of what exactly caused the passioned reaction, but it didn't matter. He had provided his flying-type with motivation. Now, it was time to train.

"Are you ready to move forward?" asked Ash while pointing at the information on his pokedex. "After reading this, I'm pretty sure I can teach you Agility."

Regardless of whether or not Ash understood his antipathy – caused by losing to a fearow – Pidgeotto nodded his head. The avian didn't want to waste any more time sulking. His time was better spent training. Hard work was the only way he was going to overcome his current disappointment. He'd grow stronger. It was the one surefire way to make sure that something like this would never happen again.

"Good," replied Ash with a smirk, "let's begin then."

In response to Ash's staidness, Pidgeotto fluttered his wings and chortled sadistically. Although his trainer was typically kind and easy going, when it came to training he didn't mess around. The boy was determined to draw the best out of the pokemon he captured, and nothing would stop him from doing so.

Pidgeotto had lucked out. He knew he had been blessed with the perfect trainer to handle his confusing personality. Ash was someone that could look past any pokemon's character regardless of how vexing it was. The boy always seemed to find a way to press his pokemon's buttons in the right way, no matter of their perturbing disposition—Squirtle and the avian were perfect examples of this.

Ash smiled at his fiendish friend's audacious display before clearing his throat to speak. "Anyways, now that you're focused, I'd like to explain Agility."

Pidgeotto defogged his mind and listened attentively.

"The first thing I'd like to address is Agility's type classification," said Ash, "it's listed as a psychic-type technique."

Pidgeotto cocked his head curiously as he listened to his trainer's explanation.

"The reason it's classified as a psychic-type move, rather than a normal-type technique like Quick Attack, is because the key to its success exists within the mind and not the body," explained Ash.

Pidgeotto emitted a curious squawk as he tried to make sense of his trainer's words.

"Apparently, pokemon that are naturally capable of learning Agility have a chemical stored in their brain that allows their body to nearly quadruple in speed for a short period of time. It works similar to Ivysaur's Chlorophyll ability. Except, it is cognitive rather than physical. At least, that's what the pokedex says. I'm not exactly an expert or anything."

The barbarous flying-type looked at Ash with agitated eyes. It appeared as though the flying-type was slightly confused.

"I know that it's a lot to process, but don't worry," reassured Ash, "even though it may take a while, we'll learn it. Learning Agility is exhausting, but it's not all that complicated. It's just going to take a lot of heart. You're going to be pushed to your limit. Do you think you can handle it?"

The avian looked at Ash with intense eyes as he adamantly squawk.

"That's what I thought," replied Ash with a smirk, "The process is pretty straight forward. I need you to use Quick Attack until you feel like you're about to pass out, due to fatigue, and then I need you to keep going. We're going to break you mentally and then build you back up. There's a barrier in your mind that we need to destroy, and the only way to do that is through total exhaustion."

Pidgeotto put forth a low, slightly distraught laughter. He was sadistic by nature, but that didn't make him a masochist. The content of Ash's words made Agility sound like it was going to be an excruciating move to learn. Good thing he'd gladly welcome any methods in order to become stronger...

The rest of the flying-type's training session consisted of repetitive Quick Attacks until Pidgeotto was nearly drifting into unconsciousness because of overwhelming fatigue. Agility relied upon the destruction of Pidgeotto's current psychological stamina limit. The mind of a pokemon was a complex thing. In the case of learning Agility, Pidgeotto's subconscious concept of his own speed needed to be broken in order to develop a technique that would transform his speed into something to be reckoned with.

The process would be grueling, but the king of Pidgeotto was more than up for the task.

XXX

An hour and a half later, Ash removed Haunter's great ball from his coat pocket. He simultaneously made a mental note to purchase a few more docking clips for his trainer belt, carrying Haunter's pokeball in his coat pocket felt way too careless and cursory…

Ash had spent the last hour and a half training up Ivysaur and Growlithe. Both of his friends were in the beginning phase of learning a new technique, and after carefully analyzing their individual training sessions, it was pretty evident.

The ten-year-old boy was working with Growlithe on a technique called Reversal, which is a physical fighting-type attack that varies in inflictive damage depending on the user's present health. Growlithe was having a lot of initial problems concerning the attack, which was normal. Fighting-type moves were typically difficult to teach a pokemon that didn't belong to the classified type. The techniques came naturally to a fighting-type, but that couldn't be said for a pokemon of another categorized typing. It was especially difficult for quadrupedal pokemon like Growlithe. Their body-type made the required movements much more difficult. However, most of the time, the techniques that were the hardest to learn were the most worthwhile.

Throughout the process of learning Reversal, Ash had a feeling that Growlithe would gain a newfound comprehension of his physical prowess. Sort of like how Clefairy grew tremendously, in terms of controlling her thaumaturgic energy, during the learning curve required to master Minimize. Besides, above all else, the pokedex said Growlithe could learn the technique, and a fighting-type attack would add significant variety to Growlithe's move pool…

Ivysaur was working on one of the rarest grass-type techniques—Razor Leaf. Razor Leaf is a physical, grass-type attack that can only be learned naturally by a few species native to Kanto. Specifically, the bulbasaur and bellsprout evolutionary families. Since bulbasaur have become severely endangered over the years, bellsprout and the foreign chikorita were the only species trainers in Kanto could actually teach Razor Leaf to. Neither chikorita nor bellsprout were necessarily popular, so the impressive attack was rarely seen by the public eye. The pokedex also explained that, through breeding, oddish were capable of congenially learning Razor Leaf. Unfortunately, breeding for selective techniques was a rather arduous and unpredictable process that couldn't typically be relied on.

Therefore, learning Razor Leaf would give Ash a rare and powerful grass-type technique for Ivysaur to exploit opponents with. The fact that it was so infrequently used would give Ivysaur a pretty distinct advantage. A lot of trainers didn't know how to battle a member of his species in the first place. Razor Leaf simply made Ivysaur even more unpredictable.

However, having thought all of that, Ash still had to teach Ivysaur the relatively difficult technique—and today's training session hadn't necessarily gone well. Ivysaur still hadn't figured out how to procure the razor, sharp leaves required for the attack. The pokedex didn't really make it clear either. It explained that it had something to do with the accelerated growth of one of Ivysaur's indwelling, organic seeds. But, Ivysaur had hundreds of choices to sift through, and that would take time—much like finding the right components for Sleep Powder.

Nevertheless, his evolved friend would eventually work it out. Ash had no way to decipher how long it would take, yet he had confidence in his saurian's exceptional intellect. Even though grass-type techniques usually took a fair amount of time to master, Ash figured that Ivysaur could probably get it down in a week or two…

Anyways, Ash's attention was now centralized on evaluating the depth of Haunter's power. He didn't have all that much time until Wallace and Austin would be waking up, and he'd prefer not to hold up the group. Reaching Saffron on time took priority over his training, which is one of the reasons why he wanted to get up early. He didn't think he'd have much time to improve throughout the day. Hopefully, they'd be able to stop and battle some traveling trainers. But, he knew that there were no guarantees. Therefore, he'd have to do his training early in the morning and late in the evening.

Until they rescued Mr. Montgomery, and successfully stopped Team Rocket's ploy to acquire the Master Ball, he probably wouldn't be getting much sleep.

Ash gently stroked Growlithe behind the ears before releasing Haunter. At first, the flash of light that emanated from the release revealed nothing but air. However, after a couple of seconds, Haunter quickly fizzled into his corporeal form, laughing and pointing at Ash's befuddled expression.

The puppy pokemon watched Haunter with an amused countenance. The ghost-type's antics instantly cheered up Growlithe's disgruntled mood, caused by this morning's struggle with Reversal.

"Good morning, Haunter!" greeted Ash with a benign smile as the ghost-type buoyantly floated in the air.

Haunter used one of his shadowy, disembodied hands to welcomingly waved at his new trainer before floating down to Growlithe's level in order to say hello to the canine. The two friendly pokemon engaged in a brief conversation, in their congenital languages, prior to Haunter levitating back up to Ash's eye level.

"I'd like to check out your current moveset," said Ash with a sober countenance, "Do you mind?"

Haunter chuckled while shaking his body left to right signifying that he was up for it.

"Great," crooned Ash as he reached into his back pocket, "give me a second to scan you with my pokedex. I think I remember your whole moveset, but I just want to make sure I don't miss anything."

The ghost-type waited patiently as Ash used the pokedex to decipher Haunter's current available techniques. The dark-haired boy instantly noticed a change in the spectral being's behavior. Haunter seemed to take training rather seriously, which was a pleasant sign. Ash wasn't exactly worried about it beforehand. Haunter had shown his competence in battle against Squirtle. Therefore, despite his comedic personality, he had to have at least taken training semi-seriously. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stood a chance against Squirtle and would probably still be in his gastly phase.

"I've seen the extent of your Hypnosis," said Ash as he scrolled through Haunter's techniques. "So there's really no need for you to show me that one. Lick is pretty straight forward, and I would rather not have you paralyze any of our friends. How about Spite? That would be an interesting one to see."

Haunter nodded, but then looked at Ash in a confused manner.

It took Ash only about a second to figure out the reason for Haunter's befuddled expression. "Well, the pokedex says that spite is supposed to be a status technique that drains stamina. It doesn't sound particularly painful. I guess you could use it on me."

Haunter gave Ash an undesirable expression as he shook his head. It was obvious that Haunter wasn't a fan of that idea.

"But, I need to see how effective it—"

Ash was interrupted by Growlithe, who cried a determined and adamant yap, clearly volunteering himself to be the subject. The dark-haired boy thought about it, for a brief moment, before making a decision.

"Okay…" muttered Ash, "but, you have to let me give you a potion after Haunter's training session."

Growlithe nodded. Unless it was absolutely necessary, the puppy pokemon didn't typically like Ash to use potions on him. However, in this situation, he wasn't going to argue. Ash's present countenance didn't give him any room to protest.

"Alright, Haunter, will you agree to use Spite on Growlithe?"

The ethereal ghost thought it over, for a short moment, before nodding and putting forth a discordant grunt.

"Alright, I promise I'll heal him later," reassured Ash before turning his attention back towards Growlithe. "Are you ready, buddy?"

The puppy pokemon pronounced a consenting bark as he looked at Haunter with brave, fiery eyes.

Haunter released a cacophonous cackle, prior to using one of his ghostly hands to gesture for Ash to back up. The dark-haired boy proceeded to do as suggested, slightly in awe of his Haunter's thoughtful nature. The ghost-type had a mischievous side, but outside of that, he was an extremely friendly pokemon—which quite possibly would never cease to throw him off.

He'd been taught at an early age that ghosts were typically nasty and vehement. A friendly ghost was about as rare as a wild munchlax or maybe even the endangered lapras. For that reason, his friend was definitely a peculiar specimen, most certainly a diamond in the rough.

After Ash was a fair distance away from Growlithe and Haunter, the ghost pokemon raised both of his shadowy hands. He pointed them directly at Growlithe while entrancingly wagging his fingers up and down. Haunter suddenly emanated a thin beam of black energy. It zigzagged through the air peculiarly before piercing a stationary Growlithe.

The puppy pokemon showed no signs of pain, but instead grew sluggish. Ash could instantly notice a difference in Growlithe's eyes. They looked weary, sort of like he had just exited Hypnosis or some other sleep inducing move.

To be honest, Ash wasn't expecting such a blatant affect. Obviously, Spite worked just fine.

_Spite—Check_.

"How do you feel, Growlithe?" asked Ash soothingly as he approached the fire-type. "You're okay, right"

The canine pokemon nodded his head affirmatively while slightly panting. It was apparent that Growlithe was tired, but he didn't look to be in pain. Ash took a deep breath; his starter was just fine. It appeared as though the ghostly technique had just caused him to become winded. Other than temporary exhaustion, Growlithe hadn't suffered any damage at all.

"Do you want the potion now instead of later?" asked Ash with a gentle smile.

Growlithe shook his head, signifying that he would rather wait. If it were up to him, he'd avoid the potion all together. He felt like he'd be just fine in a couple of minutes anyway.

"Suit yourself," said Ash with a shrug before addressing Haunter, "Spite checks out just fine. Good job."

After making sure that Growlithe was okay, Haunter proceeded to happily levitate around the glade, clearly enjoying Ash's praise. When he was finished celebrating, he floated back over to Ash's side ready to receive his next command.

Ash scrolled through his pokedex while deciding which move he wanted Haunter to show him next. "Eh, you probably don't need to show me Mean Look. It pretty much works, or it doesn't. Skill level doesn't really affect it. Do you think you've got good control over it?"

Haunter emitted a discordant grunt before nodding his body up and down.

"That's good enough for me," replied Ash with a slight smile before looking back down at his pokedex. "I'll take your word for it."

In response to Ash's trust, the gaseous pokemon's large smile seemed to widen. It was considerably apparent that Haunter was adapting well to having Ash as a trainer.

"Err…unless we're in live battle, I don't really feel comfortable having you use Curse," said Ash while shaking his head. "So, I'll have to wait to see that one."

Haunter dramatically nodded, indicating that he understood Ash's concern. Curse was one of those moves that was only to be used during a dire circumstance. Anytime there was a technique that caused self-inflicting damage, Ash liked to steer clear of using it if at all possible.

"I saw your Night Shade…" drawled Ash, "but, I didn't really get to see how strong it was. How about you show me that one again? Just use it at full strength on air. I'll fill in the blanks."

Haunter nodded before facing the opposite direction of Ash and Growlithe. Like he did when using Spite, the poltergeist raised his corporeal hands. There was a momentary pause, as it appeared that the ghost-type was preparing the attack, before he emitted an immense, dark purple wave of ominous energy. This time it was nearly twice the size of when he used it against Squirtle. Ash's skin crawled in response to the ghostly outburst. It was blatantly obvious that the ghost pokemon had been holding back against his water-type.

Ash couldn't help but laugh. "Wow…that was more than impressive."

Despite Growlithe's exhaustion, he cheered on his new comrade with a series of affable yips and yaps.

_Night Shade—Check._

Shaking off his perplexed expression, Ash moved on to the next attack he needed to evaluate. "Confuse Ray is another one of those techniques that either works or it doesn't. Like Mean Look, I'll just trust that you can freely use it. I'd rather not confuse myself or any of my friends. Any problems with your Confuse Ray?"

Haunter shook his head, indicating to Ash that he had Confuse Ray mastered and under his complete control.

"I figured," said Ash as he pointed at a collection of large boulders next to the mesmeric pond. "Now, let's go over there. Those boulders look sturdy. I want to see your Sucker Punch and Shadow Punch at full-strength."

Haunter snickered before following Ash and Growlithe over to the formation of large stones.

The young trainer wiped the sweat from his forehead as he decisively pointed at one of the boulders.

"Use Sucker Punch first," commanded Ash causally, "hit it as hard as you can."

Haunter immediately raised his fist as it was enveloped in a cloak of black energy. The mischievous ghost emitted a surge of dissonant laughter while he swung his fist into the center of the boulder.

Ash gritted his teeth as he listened to the hissing sound caused by the dark element grating through the stone's natural matter. The damage was about what Ash expected. The hardy stone turbulently vibrated before showing a plethora of fissure lines. At first, Ash thought that the rock would crumble to pieces, but it ultimately stayed intact. Sucker Punch was mostly known for being an effective quickfire counterattack. If Haunter's Sucker Punch could deal this kind of damage to a boulder of this magnitude, Ash had no doubt in his mind that the harder hitting Shadow Punch would completely decimate one of the burly boulders.

"Great job, Haunter," praised Ash as he patted the corporeal ghost between its posterior spikes.

The ghost-type once again celebrated, by buoyantly levitating around the clearing, before returning to his trainer's side with a massive grin on his face.

Growlithe put forth a supportive bark as he was significantly impressed by Haunter's strength.

_Sucker Punch—Check._

Ash cleared his throat before glancing at Haunter with expectant eyes and gesturing towards a fresh boulder, "All that's left is Shadow Punch. Hit it hard."

This time Haunter's face portrayed seriousness as he winded his shadowy fist back. It became shrouded in a dark purple current while shrieking through the atmosphere. Ash was almost forced to cover his ears on account of the vehement scream put forth by the attack.

Upon impact, the sinister energy spread out before emitting an ear-splitting, inharmonious sound that depicted blustering white noise. This time, Ash had to cover his ears due to his close proximity to the strike: the spectral energy's impact was simply way too loud to endure without protection. He kept his eyes open, though. The dark-haired boy witnessed the boulder explode into millions of tiny fragments. He would have been pelted by the aftermath if Haunter hadn't jumped in front of his adolescent body.

Ash stared ahead at the residuum wide-eyed and slack jawed. Haunter was amazing. If Ash had to guess, he'd say his power rivaled that of Pidgeotto. The ghost-type would serve as a powerhouse on his team for years to come. He certainly had a counter for Sabrina now. All he needed to do was teach Clefairy how to defend against psychic incursions, and he had a chance at taking down the psychic virtuoso.

His ghost-type simply laughed, at the fallout of his attack, as he floated around the scattered rubble. He caught a glimpse of Ash's dumfounded expression and levitated within arms-reach. He looked at Ash with curious eyes for a split-second, beckoning for his trainer to drop his guard. The moment Ash started to relax, he used his disembodied hands to comically stretch his face in every which direction.

On account of the powerful ghost's hilarious display, Ash couldn't help but burst into laughter. The dark-haired boy could hear the sound of Growlithe playfully howling as the dark purple ghost saturated them with various comical expressions.

After a couple of minutes of tear jerking laughter, Ash looked at Haunter with amicable eyes, "I have a feeling we're going to make a good team."

Haunter's grin stretched all the way from one side of his face to the other. The gaseous apparition couldn't agree more.

XXX

When Ash and Growlithe got back to camp, Austin was groggily packing up his stuff, whereas Wallace was digging into a bowl of oatmeal. Wallace's Swampert was lounging about on the ground next to its turquoise haired trainer. If Ash had to guess, Swampert was the one that had heated up Wallace's breakfast. After witnessing the insane amount of heat that the water-type was able to procure with scald, Ash figured that the beast could probably conjure a bowl of boiling water in a matter of seconds.

"Good morning, Ash," said Wallace in his silvery-toned voice. "How did your training go? Are you hungry?"

"It went well," replied the ten-year-old boy vaguely before shaking his head, "I had a protein bar on my way back to camp. Thanks for offering, though."

Wallace shrugged before asking another question, "Did you test out that new haunter of yours?"

Ash's face instantly lit up as he looked down at his starter. "He was awesome, wasn't he Growlithe?"

The puppy pokemon nodded his head elatedly as he thought back to the sheer amount of power that the shadowy apparition possessed.

Wallace gave Ash a benign smile, "Good, I'm glad your little detour worked out for you. Now, as soon as I eat the rest of my breakfast and Austin finishes packing up, we're going to head out. We have a lot of ground to cover."

"Sounds good," retorted Ash as he sat down next to Wallace before waiting for both of his older friends to finish up.

Five minutes later, Austin had finally finished packing up the last of his scattered belongings, and Wallace had wolfed down every last bit of his steel grain oats.

Ash's chiseled faced friend had yet to say anything. Either he wasn't a morning person, or he had been bombarded with terrorizing dreams just like Ash. Ash had a feeling it was the latter. Even though Austin was a couple of years older than Ash that didn't change the fact that he was still young. What they had witnessed aboard the SS _Anne_ would have messed up anyone's subconscious. The fact that they both harbored minds that were still developing only made the damage worse.

Austin had clearly been impacted by the gruesome images of the SS _Anne's_ fallen captains. It would probably take him a little bit to get over whatever horrifying images he had woken up to. Nevertheless, Ash had no doubt that Austin would endure the mental anguish. The teenager was strong. He'd manage.

"Are you guys ready?" asked Wallace as he returned his burly, fully-evolved mud fish pokemon.

Austin mumbled his first words of the morning as he swung his backpack over his shoulder, "As ready as I'm going to be…"

Ash adjusted the straps on his own backpack while preparing himself for the voyage to Saffron City, "I'm ready."

Growlithe emitted a low bark as he prepared his mind for the day's travels

"Good…" drawled Wallace while he fiercely clenched his fist, "Team Rocket, here we come."

XXX

To be continued…

XXX

A/N:

I know it's a bit shorter than last chapter, but this should suffice. For the most part, it was a transitioning chapter—not nearly as intense as Kanto 4. Next chapter will more than make up for it. Kanto 6 will consist of Silph Co...I was originally hoping to fit a battle against Sabrina in as well, but that won't be possible. It would end up being way too long. Silph Co. is going to be a lot of words in and of itself. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed chapter 5 and don't forget to review. Tune back in August 13.

P.S. None of Ash's pokemon are the _same_ ones from the canon. Keep in mind that my world's different, therefore the pokemon are different. Pidgeotto is a completely different specimen than the one in the anime, so is Haunter. The three starters are basically alternate takes on the originals; as you can tell there personalities are completely different. Simply put, from this point on, don't over analyze what I do in comparison to the canon. It's a completely different story with completely different pokemon. Thanks for reading.

Much love, vincentgrey21


	6. Kanto 6

A/N: I know I'm early with the release, but I doubt any of you will complain...It took me quite some time to finish this monster chapter, and I am way too happy with how it came out to wait until the 13th.

For clarification purposes, someone pointed out that my depiction of Stored Power was incorrect. While it was originally a mistake, I have decided to run with it. It is rare to have a move that can counter against status effect moves. Therefore, pokemon are usually free to use status moves without any repercussions.

I've decided that it would be a good idea to reconfigure Stored Power, in order to create a move that can counterbalance pokemon that primarily use status techniques. It's fanfiction after all; I don't think you should have a problem with me changing the dynamics of a couple moves here and there. Thank you to the follower that pointed this out. You've helped me look at a certain aspect of my story that wasn't previously on my radar.

Also, before you read, I want to point out that this is by far my longest chapter. For a lot of you, it may be too long to read in one sitting. If that's the case, the best way to read my chapters is by using the scene breaks (XXX) as a bookmark. I try to give you as much as I can every month without leaving the chapter in a weird place. Well, anyways, enjoy...

_Pwnerbrad_ here and before you start reading, I thought I would introduce myself! I'm vincentgrey21's beta reader and it's my job to make sure that these monstrous chapters are grammatically correct. Now that I've said hello, you may start this amazing chapter.

Kanto 6: Essence

Just as planned; Ash, Growlithe, Wallace, and Austin arrived in Saffron the morning before the ACE trainer recall. The two day journey to the big, shining city was exhausting. On both days, they traveled all day long, only stopping to eat and sleep.

Ash had to admit, it was kind of nice traveling with other people. He still preferred trekking Kanto alone with just his pokemon, but the accompaniment of other trainers definitely had its benefits.

He thoroughly enjoyed the long, pokemon related, conversations that came up while on the road. The ten-year-old boy learned a lot from the two older trainers, particularly Wallace. The Champion shared all kinds of useful bits of information concerning what it took to become a master, such as rigorous training regiments, the need to challenge superior trainers, deep bonds with your pokemon, and an accumulation of battle strategies.

The dark-haired boy also appreciated spending time with someone around his own age. The majority of the friends he had made on his journey had been much older than him. Therefore, being able to have a friend like Austin, that he could easily relate to, was pleasant and impactful; especially since Austin was going through a lot of the same things that he was. The SS _Anne_ had caused quite a lot of damage to their subconscious minds and having a friend to talk to about it was paramount in regard to the recovery process.

Despite the ample dose of travel, Ash was still satisfied with the amount of training he had gotten in. The primary reason for his intense exhaustion was his current training schedule. Due to the long days on the road, the only time he had to work with his pokemon was early in the morning and late at night. It was arduous and sometimes even aggravating; however, just because his journey had taken an unexpected turn over the last couple of days, it didn't give him an excuse to slacken his workload.

As a reward for his resolute dedication to his pokemon, all of his friends had benefited from the past couple days of drudgery. Some more than others, but that was to be expected. All pokemon grew at different rates, and some techniques were harder to conquer than others. Mastery over a pokemon's somatic potential and moveset was different for each individual specimen.

Out of all of his pokemon, Clefairy had probably profited the most from her training. She had gained complete mastery over Stored Power—which didn't come as a surprise. The fairy pokemon had excelled at it from the very beginning after all. The skill that she had attained with her thaumaturgic energy while mastering Minimize had made the learning process for Stored Power relatively simple.

They had also learned that, if necessary, Clefairy could distribute the lunar essence from her wings into her Stored Power, in order to create an even more powerful clairvoyant blast.

In addition, Ash and Clefairy had figured out that the fairy-type could maintain her Stored Power's enhancement for up to five status conditions. After five, it maxed out. And that limit more than likely wouldn't increase—at least until Clefairy had gained more overall strength and experience.

Charmander had also noticeably improved. The luscious, moist terrain in between Lavender Town and Saffron City had allowed him to train without fear of starting a forest fire. On multiple occasions, the fire-lizard had shown that he had truly completed Focus Punch, landing it against almost all of his teammates during heated sparring matches. The only pokemon he had trouble connecting a Focus Punch against was Growlithe. The canine's speed made it nigh impossible with Charmander's current skill level.

Ash had also started to teach the fire-lizard Dragon Rage. So far, it hadn't been easy, albeit it had proved to be much more facile than teaching Pidgeotto Twister. Even though Charmander wasn't a categorized dragon-type, the lizard pokemon was still close enough to where he could innately conjure at least a minuscule amount of draconic energy.

It wasn't like Pidgeotto, where the flying-type had to manipulate draconic properties from an external source. The fire-lizard had traces of dragon in its DNA, however, those traces weren't potent enough for the species to be considered a bona fide dragon.

The dark-haired boy was also happy to see that Charmander was beginning to show a lot of the signs of evolution. His tail flame was growing larger, and his orange, reptilian skin was beginning to darken into more of a reddish pigmentation. It wasn't necessarily surprising. When trained right, all three of the _original_ Kanto starters typically didn't take too long to evolve into their intermediate phases. It was the final evolution that was tedious to attain. Once all three of his starters had finally reached their second stage, they would probably remain there for quite some time. There was a reason why charizard, blastoise, and venusaur had never been common pokemon amongst Kanto trainers.

Out of all of his pokemon, Squirtle probably put in the least amount of work the last couple of days. It wasn't his fault. After his intense battle to capture Haunter, Ash had made the choice to keep Squirtle's training light. Other than helping Clefairy and Charmander, Squirtle hadn't really done anything on their first day of travel. Yesterday, however, Ash had Squirtle begin the process of learning Rapid Spin.

It was rather evident that Squirtle would have Rapid Spin down soon. He was a natural when it came to using his shell. He had already proven it with his lightning fast Withdraw, but now it was even more evident. With only a couple of training sessions under his belt, Squirtle could already spin like a revolving helicopter propeller. The only thing holding him back was dizziness, which he would overcome in time.

On account of his unusual appetite for close combat battle, it was rather clear that Squirtle would have an easy time adjusting to the more physical wartortle stage. It was a good thing to know, since it was pretty apparent that evolution was closing in on the turtle pokemon. Like Charmander, his skin was darkening, shifting from a light blue into a darker cerulean blue. The turtle pokemon's tail was beginning to sprout thick, white fur and two sharp teeth were starting to protrude out of his upper jaw. In Ash's opinion, Squirtle could evolve at any moment. All he needed was one last push.

Although he had made some progress, Ivysaur was still struggling with Razor Leaf. It wasn't considered an easy move to learn, so his struggles were to be expected. Nevertheless, it was obvious that Ivysaur was getting frustrated. Finding the right seed for Razor Leaf was a process of trial and error. Ash just hoped that the saurian duel-type would stumble across the answer sooner rather than later. Razor Leaf would be an extremely important facet of Ivysaur's moveset; giving him a prompt, hard-hitting, long-range grass-type move, which was something that his present moveset lacked.

Much like Ivysaur, Growlithe was struggling with his new technique: Reversal. He had made some progress, as far as inflicting decent damage, but according to the pokedex, he wasn't even close to realizing Reversal's true potential.

Reversal is a technique that grows in strength depending on the user's fighting spirit. Typically, in order to tap into Reversal's full power, the wielder needs to be pushed to borderline unconsciousness. However, with good form – regardless of their stamina – a pokemon can become capable of turning Reversal into a high damaging grappling technique. Unfortunately, the form was difficult to implement with non-fighting types. Ash had a feeling that Growlithe would be stuck on Reversal for a while. They would eventually master the momentum harnessing physical throw, although it would take a while for the quadruped to completely iron it out.

In regard to his Pidgeotto's progress with Agility, Ash had to say, he was slightly disappointed in himself. The highly evasive technique was giving Ash and his flying-type a lot of trouble and the dark-haired boy was having a tough time figuring out why. They were doing everything that the pokedex said and then some. Pidgeotto was pushing himself to the absolute limit, trying to breech his mind's breaking point apposite to speed.

Unfortunately, Pidgeotto had exhausted himself past that limit numerous times and had gotten zero results. Ash was starting to think that it might have something to do with Pidgeotto's king's nature, but he had no way to know for sure. All they could do was keep working at it. Maybe continuous repetition would eventually garner results.

Last but not least was the newest addition to his team: Haunter. Over the past couple of days, the ghost-type had made quite the impression on Ash. Due to his willingness to get stronger, he was easy to train, and on account of his humorous personality, the apparition never failed to make a training session entertaining.

After doing some research on his pokedex, Ash had decided to try and teach Haunter Payback. The vicious technique would give Haunter another solid dark-type attack to add to his repertoire. Ash didn't think he would have it ready for his battle against Sabrina, but it would pay off in the future. Payback was a powerful technique when used correctly, and it would give Haunter a good counter move against psychic-types and other ghosts. The ten-year old boy didn't think it would take Haunter too long to master the physical dark-type strike, but he didn't think it would be combat ready within the next couple of days.

Throughout the long few days of travel, Ash had gradually introduced Haunter to all of his friends. There wasn't a single one that he didn't get along with—which didn't come as too much of a surprise. Haunter was an extremely likable pokemon and truly seemed to enjoy the company of every single member of Ash's team.

Haunter, especially, seemed to gravitate towards Growlithe and Charmander. He'd gotten along with Growlithe from the very beginning, so Ash was expecting them to share a healthy friendship for years to come. However, regardless of Growlithe's influence on him, Ash was astonished with how well Charmander was getting along with Haunter.

After observing Charmander's behavior within the Pokemon Tower, Ash was under the assumption that his fire-lizard wasn't a fan of anything phantasmal. Apparently Ash had been wrong. It appeared as though Charmander was more put off by the environment than anything. Not once since leaving the Pokemon Tower had Charmander revealed any apprehension toward the ghost-type.

Needless to say, although maybe at various rates, his pokemon were growing stronger day by day and we're well on their way to becoming a force to be reckoned with…

Right now, Ash, Growlithe, Wallace, and Austin were traipsing across Saffron in search of the city's pokemon center. By virtue of Wallace's request, Ash had called Bill immediately upon arrival into the massive, busy city. The group had decided that they would meet the famous researcher at the Pokemon Center ASAP. Just like he said, Bill arrived in Saffron a couple of days ago. Ever since then, he had been busy doing some in-depth recon around the city. Apparently, he had come across a couple of leads that he was dying to fill them in on face-to-face.

"Are we almost there?" groaned Austin as he leaned over and looked at the digital map on Ash's xtranceiver.

"It should be coming up pretty soon," grumbled Ash, slightly annoyed. "I say we're about ten minutes away."

"We are," inserted Wallace, assertively, as he also examined the little pink dot on Ash's xtranceiver, which was betokening a nearby pokemon center, "just a little bit further."

They'd been trekking across Saffron City's southern suburbia for quite some time now and were beginning to become hot-tempered. The location of the Pokemon Center was extraordinarily inconvenient. It was situated in the city's southwestern corner—far away from any of Saffron's main attractions. The only thing that was advantageous about it was that they had entered Saffron from the city's southeastern entrance. Therefore, they didn't have to trudge through all of the hectic traffic that was located within the city's central and northernmost districts.

From his vantage point, it was clear to Ash that Saffron was gargantuan. It was the biggest city he'd ever been to, utterly dwarfing any of the cities he had previously visited. He knew this beforehand; Saffron City was well known for being the largest city in Kanto, as well as the second most populous. In the far-distance, he could see the colossal, skyscraping Silph Co. headquarters. The Montgomery family's pride and joy was one of the tallest buildings in the entire world, said to be visible for miles on end. The fact that it looked so far away only proved Saffron City's staggering immensity.

Saffron's southern districts may have been quieter than what Ash assumed the central and northern districts to be like, but they were still humming with people and light vehicle traffic. The majority of the people that they passed by were friendly and took time to wave as well as say hello. It was a nice change of pace compared to Lavender Town, where the citizens barely paid him any mind.

Also, unlike Lavender Town, Saffron City's suburbs were very distinctive. A lot of the houses and apartments were extremely modern and unique looking. Furthermore, they tended to be very divergent from one another. There was no pattern in the layout. Every individual building seemed to have sprouted up from a different allegorical seed, formulated from the minds of several dissimilar styled architects. It was definitely contrary to any of the other cities Ash had been to—which were all basically thematic in their designs. Ash couldn't wait to check out the bustling central and northern districts. He was sure he'd find all sorts of cool buildings and worthwhile commodities to look at.

Ash's favorite part about Saffron's suburbia was that there appeared to be all kinds of recreational things to do. Lavender Town's suburb only consisted of monothematic housing. The streets were dead, and you barely saw anyone. Saffron's suburbs consisted of everything you could possibly need to have a high quality life such as shopping centers, rec. centers, libraries, parks, training facilities, etc. It was a pleasant community: the kind of place that you'd like to raise a family.

Nevertheless, they'd been slogging across it for hours and couldn't wait to arrive at the Pokemon Center. Just because the scenery was convivial…didn't mean they weren't tired of walking. If it weren't for the delightful, steady, autumn breeze that was capering across everyone's skin, they would have gotten a taxi by now. Austin had suggested it when they first arrived, but Ash and Wallace wanted to fully embrace the city. It was hard to do that from the backseat of a moving vehicle.

As they continued to near the location of the pink dot on Ash's xtranceiver, the dark-haired boy and his Growlithe spotted a couple of domesticated meowth playing in someone's front yard. Pet pokemon were rather common amongst the suburbs. Ash had already seen several meowth, pikachu, jigglypuff, and even nidoran under the ownership of some of the civilians.

It was actually a rather nice site to see. The pokemon looked happy and so did their owners. Therefore, there was no reason for Ash to think anything other than positive thoughts. A lot of trainers carried contempt for people that only kept pokemon for self-gratification. However, Ash didn't mind. As long as the pokemon were happy, he couldn't see any harm in it. Training pokemon to their potential, and building friendships in the process, was his personal affiliation with the wonderful creatures of this world. He had no qualms with other humans that peacefully chose to interact with pokemon in a different way.

Ash, Wallace, and Austin's cranky moods lightened up when Growlithe predictably snarled at the two playful meowth. The never ending struggle between feline and canine pokemon was especially strong between the growlithe and meowth lines. Although it wasn't quite as comical amidst powerful, fully-evolved arcanine and persian, this case was a different story.

The meowth were merely kittens—babies of their species. As Ash and his friends passed by, they showed no animosity towards Growlithe. As a matter of fact, they looked at him with jovial eyes, evidently desiring contact. Growlithe simply snarled and looked ahead; he knew better than to mingle with felines. In his opinion, they were sly and not to be trusted. And even if they weren't, it was nonetheless unnatural. Growlithe were dogs, and meowth were cats. The two species simply weren't compatible.

Growlithe's disinterested gaze was enough to beckon the meowth not to approach them. Ash simply laughed. The whole brief situation was way too stereotypical not to. It was almost like something straight out of a cartoon.

Anyways, after about five more minutes of dragging through the neighborhoods, they eventually reached and entered Saffron City's pokemon center. It was situated in a more commercially inclined section of the suburbs—surrounded by all kinds of busy concession and convenience stores.

Although his digital map said otherwise, Ash had a tough time believing that this was the only pokemon center in the city. It was state of the art and expansive, appearing to have all of the features of a major city's pokemon center. However, it was too ill-placed.

Thus far, in every city he'd been to, the pokemon center had been located within close proximity to the city's official gym. But that wasn't the case in Saffron City. Sabrina's gym was located on the opposite side of Saffron—planted somewhere within the city's northeastern district. That didn't make any sense to Ash. Why would the League set things up that way?

Nevertheless, Ash discarded the unnecessary speculation. They had finally arrived at the Pokemon Center—which meant that it was finally time to meet up with Bill…

"Do you guys see Bill?" asked Austin as he scanned the lively lobby. "I've only seen a few pictures of the guy, and I'm having a tough time remembering what he looks like."

"I don't see him," answered Wallace while also surveying his surroundings, "but remember, he's supposed to be in disguise. I don't know Bill quite as well as I know his father. He's Robert's son, I assume he'll be tough to find. Chances are he'll spot us first."

Simultaneous to Wallace finishing up his statement, Ash, all of a sudden, noticed a lone, brown-haired woman sitting by herself—reading a book in one of the lobby's comfortable lounging areas. Typically, Ash didn't get stuck examining too many random people, but for some reason the brunette seemed familiar. He was certain he'd met her before.

She looked to be in her late twenties, but it was hard to tell her age because of the irrational amount of make-up that was heaped on top of her thin face. She had dark-brown eyes and extremely long lashes: it was pretty evident that they were fake. However, a lot of girls wore fake eye lashes, so Ash didn't think too much about it. Her outfit was rather professional, consisting of a violet colored blouse and a black, draped skirt. She also wore black, pointed toe heels that seemed to fit awkwardly on her wide feet.

Needless to say, she was a strange looking woman. Why did Ash recognize her? Surely he had seen her before.

"Ash, is something wrong?" asked Wallace after watching the ten-year-old boy zone out into oblivion.

Ash shook himself out of his self-inflicted trance. "No, it's just…I feel like I know—"

He suddenly cut off his sentence as the woman looked up from her paperback book. He had to cover his mouth in order to stop himself from making a scene. After all, this quite possibly was the funniest thing he had ever seen. Now that she and her masculine jawline were staring straight at him, it was blatantly obvious to Ash that the woman was none other than Bill in disguise—cross dressing as a young, business women.

"What is it, A—?" asked Wallace before catching a glimpse of Bill himself. The Champion instantly recognized the famous researcher, prior to reacting in a similar manner as the ten-year-old boy.

"What are you guys laughing at?" whispered Austin confusedly as he noticed Growlithe begin to emit a sound that resembled mumbling laughter. "I mean, I know that lady's weird looking, but don't you think you're acting kind of rude?"

Ash and Wallace disregarded Austin's comment while wiping the laughing tears from their eyes. Once they'd gotten themselves under control, they approached Bill, who was glaring at them with fiery eyes.

"Shut it, you bloody prats!" hissed Bill quietly as he slammed his book shut. "You'll blow my cover!"

"Oh my god, don't tell me…" muttered Austin with a flushed face.

"You hit the nail on the head," chuckled Wallace in a quiet intonation as he nonchalantly crossed his arms. "It's been a long time, Bill."

"Yes, yes…good to see you, too, Wallace. Now, hurry up and sit your arse down. You're drawing unwanted attention."

Ash looked around the Center only to notice that Bill was in fact correct. A few of the other trainers in the Pokemon Center had stopped what they were doing in order to pay attention to their group's peculiar display. Ash disregarded it for now and focused back on Bill. Their stares would go away as soon as he and his friends calmed down.

Wallace seemed to relax a little bit as he adjusted his suit—which had gotten ruffled amidst all of the body jerking laughter. Ash was slightly surprised that no one in the Center seemed to recognize Wallace. He was the Champion of a region after all. But then again, Ash hadn't recognized the Champion the first time he'd met him aboard the SS _Anne_, so maybe it shouldn't have come as a surprise. Hoenn was pretty far away.

Everyone proceeded to sit down before Bill turned his attention towards Ash.

"How's it going, Ash?" asked Bill with care. "You look rather weary in the eyes."

"I haven't been getting very much sleep since the SS _Anne_," answered Ash with a shrug before smirking at his friend, "but at least I haven't resorted to cross dressing."

"Ha Ha—hilarious," answered Bill sarcastically. "When you hear the Intel I got my hands on, though, you'll be thanking me for dressing up as a bloody munter. I wasn't messing around when I said I'd go completely incognito on the Rocket bastards."

"Apparently…" drawled Wallace in a heckling tone, "I mean, people have given me crap for dressing a little too flamboyant from time to time. But, Bill, you've taken things to the extreme. It's not like Team Rocket expects you to be in Saffron. You could have chosen a million other disguises, but you decided to dress up like a business women."

Ash watched Bill's complexion turn red, from embarrassment, as Wallace gave him a hard time.

"At least this isn't a regular thing," angled Bill while leaning forward. "You wear a bloody cape under your own volition."

"You wear a cape?" asked Austin incredulously as he turned to Wallace. "Don't you think that's kind of lame?"

"It's not a cape!" hissed Wallace in a whisper while becoming as red as Bill. "It's a cloak. There's a difference."

"Don't let him fool you," heckled Bill as he sat up in his chair and pointed at Wallace. "It's a cape. I don't know what it is with you Champions. Lance wears one, too; he has an excuse. His is a cultural tradition of the dragon clan. I don't know why you wear a cape, other than the fact that you enjoy drawing people's attention."

Ash watched Wallace shake his head; he clearly didn't have comeback. Although their bickering hadn't been entirely serious, Ash had a feeling that Bill had slightly irritated the Champion. Ash wasn't shocked, though. Bill had warned him back at the lighthouse that he wasn't the best at making friends. Maybe this was the reason why? Ash never took anything Bill said too seriously, so he usually didn't get offended by what Bill said. Nevertheless, Bill could be a little too blunt from time to time—which definitely rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.

"Anyways…" drawled Bill, sensing that it would be a good idea to change the subject, "did you have any luck catching a ghost-type, Ash?"

"I did," replied the ten-year-old boy with a wide grin. "I caught a Haunter. He's pretty awesome."

"Good," answered Bill as he anxiously looked around the Pokemon Center. "You'll need it against Sabrina. She's extra scary right now."

"What do you mean?" asked Ash in a confused manner. "Did you visit her gym?"

"Not exactly…" mumbled Bill while scratching the back of his head, "she actually sort of came to visit me."

"But, what about your disguise?" asked Ash, "how'd she know it was you?"

"Are you kidding me?" Bill scoffed, "that woman is the greatest psychic of this generation. You'd have to be an idiot to think that you'd walk into her city – with the kind of information we have – without her knowing about it."

Wallace and Austin sat up in their chairs as they zeroed in on Bill.

"What did she say?" asked Wallace as he pointed at Bill. "Sabrina Marvil doesn't just visit people for the hell of it. Does she know about our plan?"

"Of course she knows about it," huffed Bill. "Come on, Wallace, you couldn't have possibly thought that she wouldn't find out."

"Kind of," answered Wallace, slightly flushed. "At least, I was hoping she wouldn't…"

Bill raised his eyebrows and shook his head before replying. "Well, I guess it's not your fault. You are from another region. I should have known that you'd underestimate Sabrina. Most of the population of Kanto doesn't even know what she is truly capable of."

"What _exactly_ is she capable of?" Ash asked curiously.

"Her true team is at least elite level, probably just as strong as Agatha's. The only reason she isn't a member of the Elite Four is because she is obsessed with Saffron's protection. Don't get me wrong, she cares about all of Kanto, but she wouldn't bat and eye if she had to choose between Saffron and the rest of the region. She grew up here. It's her home. In addition to her pokemon's strength, she is the most powerful human psychic in the world. Sabrina is rumored to be on equal terms with her most powerful Alakazam—which she only uses against the toughest of challengers. If she were to throw her true power at the trainers that challenge her, I'm afraid she wouldn't be giving away any badges."

Ash gulped as he processed Bill's words. Even though her power would be compromised, he would have to face Sabrina's unbelievable strength in order to walk away from Saffron with the Marsh Badge.

"Okay…" retorted Wallace, "so if Sabrina knows about Team Rocket's plan to attack Silph Co., why hasn't she informed the League?"

Bill smirked, "Because then she would blow our chances at saving my father, whom she shares a strong friendship with. Sabrina and my dad work together, to protect and help govern Saffron. They have a father-daughter relationship or something along those lines. Besides, she's fully aware of your strength, Wallace. Why does she need to call the League, when she has the strongest representative of another region coming to help her?"

"Hold on, let me get this straight…" answered Wallace—void of emotion. "Sabrina's become a part of our plan?"

"Yes," replied Bill, "whether you want her to or not, she will be taking part in our plot to stop Team Rocket and rescue my father. Sabrina made that very clear when she visited me yesterday."

"I see…" mumbled Wallace. "I guess we don't have much of a choice than. We should probably meet with her as soon as possible."

"I agree," said Bill, "but before we do that, I would like to fill you in on the information we have already procured."

"Of course," answered Wallace.

Ash and Austin continued to watch Bill and Wallace with bewildered expressions as they tried to digest all of the information that was being passed between the two extremely important individuals.

Bill crossed his legs and cleared his throat before continuing. "Essentially, Sabrina and I have managed to procure two pivotal tidbits of information."

"And…?" drawled Wallace. "Elaborate please."

Before leaning forward with a smirk, Bill scanned his surroundings to make sure that no one was listening in.

"What if I told you that we figured out the name of the Team Rocket executive that's leading the operation?" whispered Bill.

All three trainers sat up on the edge of their seats as they greatly anticipated what Bill was going to say next.

"Sabrina scraped the name from some cack-handed cock-up that stumbled into one of the central district bars last night," said Bill. "You see, wherever their main force is hiding out, it is protected by numerous psychic-types. We've tried to find their hideout, but have had no luck. Sabrina thinks they're using a legion of psychic pokemon to mess with everybody's brains. The woman can feel a presence, but she can't locate it. She was able to pull some information from the misplaced grunt's mind. Unfortunately, for the most part, he didn't know anything. It's like his mind had already been wiped of anything substantial, possibly an after-effect of leaving this, so-called, psychically protected hideout."

"Wait. I'm confused," interjected Wallace. "How'd she know that this grunt was going to be at the bar?"

Bill shook his head. "The woman's not just a telepathic psychic, but she's also an empath. She's got this whole city under some kind of empathetic link. She can feel the slightest tinge of evil coursing throughout someone's being. She explained it to me, although a lot of it was hard to make sense of. Essentially, we all have traces of evil: greed, selfishness, jealousy...I can keep going, but I think you get the point. Anyways, in essence, we all bear the fallacies of the human race. However, there is a difference between evil of the mind and evil of the heart."

"Evil of the mind is natural. It's part of living in this fallen world. You can't avoid it. Evil of the heart, on the other hand, is different. This is the kind of evil people act on. It's the kind of evil that inflicts pain on everything it comes in contact with. Minor evil buggers possess small traces. Super evil buggers are brimming with this kind of black essence. This is how Sabrina knows there's a psychic barrier concealing the bloody pricks. There's a block in her empathetic link. Something's protecting Team Rocket from being sensed by Sabrina."

"But wait," interrupted Wallace, "shouldn't she be able to locate the psionic block?"

"_Hmmm_…under normal circumstances, yes, she would be able to," said Bill as he mindlessly played with the pages in his chapter book. "Unfortunately, they've got enough psychic-types to not only conceal their presence but to also scramble their location. The bloody bastards really thought this one through."

"I see…" drawled Wallace with a deep sigh, "but like you said, one of them messed up and ventured outside of Team Rocket's psychic concealment."

"True," said Bill with a shrug. "But, I also said that the barrier stripped nearly everything from his mind. Sabrina immediately sensed his insane levels of corruption with her empathetic link. However, when she interrogated him after taking him into custody, only one thing remained etched into his anima—and that is the name of the executive."

"Which is…?" questioned Wallace.

"Ariana," answered Bill. "Her name is Ariana."

All three trainer's eyes lit up, and their jaws unhinged, as they soaked in what Bill had just said.

Vivid images of the SS _Anne_ tournament grated against Ash's psyche as he remembered the name of the beautiful, burnished-haired emcee. Ash was honestly shell shocked. How could such a gorgeous, charismatic woman be an executive for Team Rocket? Maybe it was just a coincidence? It had to be. True evil couldn't look like that, could it? No. Evil looked more like the Rockets they'd confronted on the SS _Anne_: Reid, Sid and Jack. Evil couldn't look like Ariana: the delightful figurehead of the SS _Anne_. If so, she had put up quite a facade

Bill raised an eyebrow, "Does that name mean something to you?"

"Damn…" muttered Austin as he clenched his fists and shook his head. "Could it really be her?"

"It can't be," inserted Ash with a frown. "She was nothing like the other Rockets. It's probably just someone with the same name."

Wallace used his hand to gesture for Ash to be quiet before shaking his head. "I'm afraid it's probably her. It actually makes perfect sense."

"Can somebody please fill me in on what's going on," Bill implored as he leaned forward in his chair—eyes glued on Ash. "Who is this woman?"

Ash cleared his throat before answering. "There was a pokemon tournament aboard the SS _Anne_. A woman named Ariana was the tournament's emcee, but she didn't seem like the type of person that would work for Team Rocket."

"Listen, Ash," interrupted Wallace, "often times, it's the ones that don't look it that are the worst of the all. Have you ever heard the saying, don't judge a book by its cover?"

"Of course I have," said Ash, "everyone's heard that."

"Well, it doesn't just apply to good stories with bad covers," answered Wallace with narrowed eyes. "Sometimes, it's the books with the most pleasant covers that are filled with atrocious content."

"Deep…" chided Bill sarcastically as he eyed Wallace. "I think he gets the point, Wallace. No need to speak in rhetoric."

Wallace sat up in his chair and huffed, clearly offended. Before continuing, he took a moment to regather his thoughts after Bill's sarcastic remark.

"I guess my point is that, although Ariana seemed like a good person, she was just fooling us. Her cover was perfect. She worked with Robert on a daily basis as part of the tournament committee and used her position opportunistically to gain his trust. The wench lied through her teeth, making Robert feel comfortable until it was time for Team Rocket to strike."

"If that's the case," said Austin while scrunching his eyes in thought. "Why wouldn't she use an alias?"

"In her mind, their probably wasn't any point," inserted Bill. "If what Wallace says is true, she probably thought that everybody that knew her name would be killed in the explosion."

"Exactly," replied Wallace under his breath as he angrily pounded his fist into his palm. "I should have known something was wrong with her! I was so close to her, and I had no idea. Dammit, I could have stopped everything before it even started!"

Austin placed a hand on Wallace's shoulder. "We were all there Champ. Don't beat yourself up over it; it's not your fault."

Ash looked Wallace in the eyes while he spoke with conviction. "He's right. None of us suspected anything of her. If anything, this just proves the lengths at which Team Rocket is willing to go. In order for a Team Rocket Executive to get a position like Ariana's, they must have been planning this operation for years. The SS _Anne_ didn't just let anyone work for them."

"You guys are right," said Wallace with an exasperated sigh. "I just can't help but feel incompetent."

"Oh please, Wallace," spluttered Bill. "You're a bloody Champion. Everyone here knows that you're the farthest thing from incompetent."

"Yeah," muttered Ash. "If you're incompetent, what does that make us?"

"Magikarp," heckled Austin, causing everyone – other than Wallace – to burst out into laughter.

Wallace just sat there without saying a word, more than likely reflecting on the events that took place aboard the SS _Anne_. Although Wallace had a sense of humor, Ash had spent enough time around him to tell that he was a bound and determined man. It would take a lot more than some reassuring comments, from a couple of kids, to get Wallace's mind off of his failure to see through Ariana's facade.

Bill seemed to catch on to the fact that Wallace needed to be distracted. He set his eyes on Austin before reaching out to shake the teenager's hand. "I'm sorry. Our conversation began before I got a chance to properly introduce myself. I'm Bill Montgomery."

"Nice to meet you, Bill," replied Austin in a confused manner as he shook the young researcher's hand. "I'm Austin."

Ash assumed that the chiseled faced teenager's confusion stemmed from the fact that Bill was just now introducing himself.

"Ah, yes, you're the one Ash mentioned over the phone," said Bill with a quirky smile. "Well, any friend of Ash is a friend of mine. I look forward to getting to know you."

"Same here," retorted Austin while reciprocating an awkward smile.

After Bill had finished introducing himself to Austin, he diverted his gaze back towards Wallace. "Are you going to come back to reality anytime soon? Before we go see Sabrina, I have one more bit of information that I'd like to share with you."

Antecedent to a reply, Wallace shook himself out of his self-inflicted trance. "Of course, sorry, I was just thinking about something. What else have you found out?"

"Something important," replied the researcher. "We can base our entire plan off of what I'm about to share with you."

All three trainers perked up in their seats as they waited for what Bill was about to say.

"Sabrina shares a special kind of empathetic bond with my father. She can perceive all of his thoughts and emotions as if they were her own."

"How's that different than her other empathetic link…?" questioned Wallace.

"Just let me explain," retorted Bill. "Anyways, this special empathetic bond is called empathetic symbiosis. It's something that often forms between a psychic pokemon and their trainer. Essentially, it's an empathy link that develops on account of deep levels of emotional intimacy. Ever since she lost her dad, my old man has been like a second father to Sabrina. I've never really gotten a chance to get to know her, but my parents think of her as a part of the family. My dad was good friends with her late father; he felt like it was his duty to be there for her after her dad's death."

"_Hmmm_…so Sabrina and Robert are that close, eh?" drawled Wallace. "I wasn't aware of that. So, what exactly does this empathetic symbiosis entail? How does it apply to our plan?"

"It applies to our plan," answered Bill, "because her empathetic symbiosis with my dad is too strong for the Rocket's psychics to distort."

"So you're saying that we can locate the Rocket's base by following Sabrina's empathetic symbiosis," answered Wallace with an energetic rise in his intonation.

"Not exactly," frowned Bill. "Sabrina and I are both under the assumption that they're holding my dad at a different location. On account of the failed attempt to kill everyone aboard the SS _Anne_, Team Rocket is most likely hesitant about including their henchmen in on the full details of their plan. The less people that know about the details, concerning how the executive is going to steal the Master Ball, the better."

"Besides, they think there plan will be a complete surprise attack. All they think they need to do is attack Silph Co. brainlessly with their main forces, while a small, elite Rocket team sneaks in to steal the Master Ball. If it weren't for Sabrina, they'd get away with it, too. Fortunately, Team Rocket isn't aware of the full extent of Sabrina's prowess. They don't know about her adroitness with empathy."

"I see," answered Wallace. "That would make sense. Have you guys tried to follow this empathetic symbiosis yet? Have you looked for this location?"

"Indeed," retorted Bill. "We think they're holding my dad in an abandoned warehouse, within Saffron's northwestern district. That's where Sabrina's empathetic bond with my father leads to."

"So, you're pretty set on their being two locations, eh?" asked Austin. "I mean…don't you think you're putting a little too much weight into that?"

"Maybe," said Bill with a shrug, "but it makes the most sense. The warehouse that Sabrina's empathetic symbiosis leads to isn't very big, and this has to be a large operation. Even if Silph Co. won't be guarded by authentic ACE trainers, they're still trainees for a reason. Each one of them is worth at least three or four Rocket grunts."

"Therefore, if Team Rocket is who we think they are, they're more than likely bringing at least three hundred grunts...probably more. They want my dad's bloody Master Ball. That much was made clear by what they did to the SS _Anne_. Team Rocket will not come unprepared, we need to do whatever we can to stop them. We may be acting on a whim. But, if that whim gives us a chance to get my father back, and cause a major blow to the bloody rotters, we have to take it. There's no other choice."

"I understand," replied Austin, "you're right."

"What do you think, Wallace?" asked Bill.

"I think that there's a good chance you're right," answered Wallace. "And even if you aren't, it wouldn't change how we should handle this situation."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Bill with a raised eyebrow.

Ash leaned over and scratched Growlithe behind the ears, who had been sitting patiently throughout the entirety of the conversation, as he waited to hear Wallace's proposition.

Wallace shook his head, "It doesn't make sense to talk about a plan until we meet with Sabrina. Besides, we're being careless. We shouldn't be talking about such serious matters in public. I'll share my idea later. For now, let's get our pokemon restored by Nurse Joy. I have a feeling they're going to need to be at full-strength. There's a storm coming."

"A storm?" asked Ash.

Wallace nodded before surveying everyone with his eyes. "The storm's name is Team Rocket. It is best we prepare. Whatever strategy we come up with, one things for certain, tomorrow there will be a battle. Don't be fooled, we will all be pushed to our limits."

Everyone stared ahead intently—anxiety evident in their collective disposition.

XXX

As they exited the Pokemon Center, they were nearly blinded by a sudden flash of silvery light. It penetrated Ash's pupils, causing them to drastically contract like parchment at the touch of flame.

"What the hell was that!?" blurted Austin as he too was evidently affected by the incandescent surge.

"I don't know," answered Ash in between awkwardly concentrated blinks, "it kind of looked like a pokeball release."

"It wasn't," inserted Wallace while rubbing out his eyes. "It was some kind of supernatural energy."

"Sabrina…" groaned Bill, "I think it was Sabrina's teleportation."

"Hello again, Bill Montgomery," said a soft, toneless female voice present amidst the temporary blinding light, "Wallace Mikari, Austin Turner, Ash Ketchum, hello to you as well."

While listening to Bill reply, Ash repetitively scrunched his eyes in attempt to regain his eyesight. His current status distracted him from giving a response.

"Bloody hell, Sabrina," grumbled Bill, clearly peeved, "what are you trying to do, blind us?"

"No. I wasn't," retorted the monotonous voice that belonged to Sabrina. "Although blindness would relieve your friends' minds from the grotesque image of the disguise you are wearing."

While his vision finally started to defog, Ash couldn't help but snicker at Sabrina's curt jab. It was still difficult to get a clear picture, but Ash could see an obscured image of a woman standing in front of him. She looked to be about average height for a female adult, albeit she appeared to be somewhat frail. That didn't shock Ash, though. Just like most psychic pokemon, Ash assumed that human psychics were probably weak in stature. Almost all of their strength came from their minds.

Psychic pokemon, who were natural wielders of the mystic, cognitive element, were practically required to spend countless hours in meditation, honing their craft in order to become adequate. Humans had to nearly double the hard work of a psychic-type in order to even breach the surface of their latent psionic potential. This type of mental training didn't leave room for conquests of the body. Sabrina, more than likely, had to completely forfeit her physical fitness to be able to reach her unmatched psychic capabilities.

"I see you're as pleasant as ever," angled Bill while rubbing his eyes. "Now tell me, why have you come out here? We were just about to head over to your gym? We have a lot of things to discuss."

"Hence the reason I am here," replied Sabrina, "I thought I would save you the time and energy. I've come to pick you up; we will be traveling to the gym by means of teleportation."

Once his vision had shifted back into focus, Ash looked over Saffron's famous gym leader. She was actually way prettier than Ash would have expected, although her distant pink eyes were slightly off-putting. The young woman wasn't quite as frail as Ash had thought she was. Sabrina was skinny, however, she wasn't bony. In fact, her body resembled that of an inverted triangle. Her chest was well-endowed, her hips were narrow, and her waist wasn't well-defined by any means.

Sabrina's facial features were fine and unlined. She only wore a small amount of make-up, and in Ash's opinion, she didn't necessarily need it. Her skin was flawless and unblemished, although she was rather pale. Not that it was a bad thing. As a matter of fact, her pale skin made her look delicate and royal, almost like an Edo era princess. Her hair was jet-black, shoulder-length, and styled in a blowout. As she looked at them with a detached expression, the curls at the end of her hair sat perfectly atop her bare shoulders.

Her outfit was rather simple and casual. She wore a light-pink spaghetti strap tank top that ended just below her belly-button and a pair of white skinny jeans. Fastened around her waist was a thick, black trainer belt with at least a dozen different kinds of pokeballs clipped around its circumference—most notably a couple of pristine ultra balls. Her outfit was completed by a pair of light pink tennis shoes that matched her top.

Once Ash was done looking Sabrina over, he took a step forward in order to introduce himself to the powerful gym leader.

She instantaneously gestured for him to stop in his tracks as she spoke up, "We will avoid introductions until we are back at the Gym, Ash Ketchum. I do not sense any malignant intent within close proximity. However, Team Rocket is precarious. I'd rather not stay here any longer than necessary."

Ash gulped. The fact that Sabrina was more than likely observing his thoughts made him feel awfully uncomfortable. He proceeded to nod his head before diverting his attention towards Wallace, who had seemingly shaken off the blinding effects of Sabrina's teleportation.

"How would you like to do this, Sabrina?" asked the Champion. "Typically, teleportation requires physical contact. Would you like us to link arms or something?"

"That won't be necessary," answered Sabrina with vacant eyes. "My power stretches beyond rudimentary laws such as that one. Stand still. We will arrive at the gym momentarily."

"Okay—" Wallace managed to splutter as he was cut off by Sabrina's abrupt, blazing eyes. They fluctuated between the colors pink and purple while emanating an intense aura.

Between blinks, within a fraction of a second, they were all elsewhere. Ash's vision was once again briefly disoriented, and his stomach was slightly nauseous. It was reminiscent of how he felt when he was teleported by the clefable envoy back at Mt. Moon. On account of the collective groan, it appeared that everyone was having the same adverse reaction to the teleportation except for Sabrina, who was quiet amidst the choir of empty disgorge.

"That bloody sucked!" blurted Bill as he stood up from a keeled over position. "I forget how awful teleportation feels."

"It isn't exactly pleasant to have the energy in all of your nuclei ripped apart and put back together," answered Sabrina. "Nevertheless, you get used to it with repetition. The side-effects will go away in about a minute. It doesn't take too long for your energy to replenish."

As Ash's vision corrected itself, he looked around at his surroundings. They were in an enclosed, medium-sized, rectangular shaped room. In the center lay a far-reaching, oval shaped conference table. There were probably close to twenty chairs neatly pushed in and arranged around its perimeter. In addition, the walls were brown and void of décor. The only color in the room was the indigo, marble tile that covered the floor.

"Where are we?" asked Austin in a confused intonation. "This doesn't look like the Saffron Gym."

"It is," replied Sabrina, "this is my meeting room. I meet with my gym trainers and visiting League Officials in here. I figured it would be a good place to talk about the upcoming events."

Austin simply nodded as he and the rest of the group continued to examine the Saffron City Gym's meeting room.

"Shall we engage in introductions?" asked Sabrina. "Every second counts. As Bill Montgomery said earlier, we have a lot to discuss."

Ash had only been around the psychic virtuoso for a couple of minutes, and he could already tell she was peculiar. She spoke almost like a machine, bearing an uncanny tonal resemblance to a female artificial intelligence. Her posture was kind of stiff, albeit all of her movements were efficient. Sabrina didn't seem like the kind of person that ever wasted a step. The thing Ash noticed the most, though, was her countenance. It never changed. Her expression was always empty of emotion, similar to his stone-faced squirtle.

Sabrina approached Wallace first before reaching out to shake the Champion's hand. "Champion Wallace, nice to finally meet you. With your help, I look forward to squashing this Team Rocket operation."

"Hello, Sabrina," replied the Champion with an awkward smirk. "I'm happy to be able to help. Team Rocket doesn't stand a chance."

"That they do not," retorted Sabrina expressionlessly, anterior to moving on to acknowledge Ash.

"Greetings, Ash Ketchum," nodded Sabrina while suddenly depicting her first hint of emotion towards the group.

Sabrina expressed a slight smile before holding out an open palm. "Can I have your hand please? Your relationship with your memories is rather interesting. Your mind is still developing, yet your maturation is confounding. With your permission, I would like to perform a palm reading."

"Um…sure," replied Ash, slightly abashed. He raised his hand up to Sabrina's before gently resting it on top of her palm. Her hand was cold and soft. For the first time, Ash noticed her silver painted finger nails.

"Do not worry," murmured Sabrina, "I will not disclose any information unless you ask. This is simply to satisfy my own curiosity."

"Okay then…go ahead," answered Ash.

Although he wasn't exactly keen on getting his palm read, Ash didn't want to rock the boat. As long as she didn't share too much with him – or anyone else for that matter – he figured there was no harm in allowing Sabrina to look into his future. When he looked around at his friends, he could tell that they were interested as well. Bill seemed to have gotten to know Sabrina the past couple of days, and he wasn't trying to stop her. Therefore, Ash figured he would be just fine. Bill and Wallace would have asked Sabrina to refrain if they were skeptical.

Anyhow, with Ash's permission, Sabrina proceeded to examine his palm. She started at the base of his middle finger and worked down, following a faded palm line all the way down to Ash's wrist. The dark-haired boy watched as Sabrina suddenly lifted her hand from his own before hovering it back over to where she originally begun. Ash didn't know anything about chiromancy, but he figured she was about to begin the actual reading. The human psychic once again pressed down on the same palm line, except this time, she only used her first two fingers. She carefully brushed her fingers down his palm, spontaneously stopping along the way. Throughout the process, Ash watched her facial disposition. It was stuck like a statue, depicting nothing but sober-mindedness. There was a slight glow within her irises, albeit it wasn't auroral like when she had performed her teleportation.

"Are you seeing anything interesting?" queried Bill, interrupting the unmediated silence.

Sabrina remained focused on Ash's palm as she answered Bill undemonstratively, "I've chosen to ignore all but his fate line. It's all that I'm interested in. The rest I can read through his memories and psyche."

"Err...and how's that going?" stammered Ash.

"I'm not finished," retorted Sabrina. "Your fate line is unwonted. I've read thousands of lines of destiny, and I've only ever seen one other like it, whose identity I have sworn not to reveal."

"Is that a good thing?" asked Ash with a frown, ignoring the sworn secret, "or…not?"

"That's for you to decide," answered Sabrina. "I didn't actually look into any of the events that your fate line alludes to. Something powerful is telling me that I shouldn't. However, I can say this. You will have a monumental impact on our world, whether you want to or not. Be prepared for anything. Fate has a lot in store for you."

Ash gulped as he soaked in Sabrina's words. Fate was a scary thing, what could it possibly want with him? If Sabrina was reluctant to look into his future, it couldn't be good. But, then again, maybe he was wrong. Maybe, it was good. He couldn't know for sure, all he could really do was wait. Time would eventually unveil what destiny had in store for him.

Sabrina's irises ceased their glow as she lifted her fingers from Ash's palm, "Very interesting. I look forward to watching you grow. Thank you for being brave. That is all for now, although it seems this reading has had the opposite effect of my original desire. My curiosity has only grown towards you."

"Err...no problem," replied Ash as a question pierced through his mind.

The dark-haired boy didn't even get to open his mouth before Sabrina replied to his thought.

"Like I said earlier, I chose not to perform a reading on your other palm lines because it wasn't necessary. You have a strong personality. Other than the line of fate, most of the palm lines pertain to character and personality. Yours is very, very strong. There is no need to examine the other palm lines because your entire being radiates who you are, unparalleled to any other child your age that I have ever encountered."

"I see…" drawled Ash, "that's a lot to take in, especially since I don't feel all that special."

"Ah...but the fact that that was your response," said Sabrina, "only proves that my analysis of you is correct. I could have guessed that you would respond with humbleness. It is a part of your confounding maturity."

"Just take the praise," said Austin as he placed a friendly hand on Ash's shoulder. "She's pretty much calling you a prodigy. You couldn't ask for a higher compliment."

"Austin is right," inserted Wallace, "you are incredible for your age, Ash, and it doesn't take a psychic to know that."

"I can second that," replied Bill. "Look at the pokemon you've procured in less than two months, it's almost unheard of. You're well on your way to becoming a master. Just apply yourself and see what happens."

"Thanks guys," replied Ash, "I don't know what to say."

"Then don't say anything at all," retorted Wallace. "We're just stating what we've seen firsthand. There is no reason to thank us for that."

"What he said," added Austin with fiery eyes, "I just can't wait until you get a couple of years under your belt. That way, we can have a battle on more equal terms. Who knows, maybe one of these days we can even compete in the same league."

"That would be awesome!" blurted Ash.

Vivid images of himself facing off against his older friend flooded throughout his psyche, causing his countenance to outwardly gleam.

"Speaking of battles," interrupted Sabrina, "your memories say that you are also in Saffron City for a gym battle."

"I am," retorted Ash with a smile. "It'll be my third gym battle."

"I'm well aware of that," replied the psychic virtuoso, "however, I'm afraid now is not the best time. It would be better if we wait until after we have handled this Team Rocket ordeal. That way your mind is clear, and your pokemon are at full-strength to fend off the enemy. Besides, I'm under the assumption that you still have a bit of training to do. After we dismantle this Team Rocket operation, you should work with your Clefairy. It is essential that she learns how to deal with a psychic assailment, although my words are just meant to help persuade. I know that you are already aware of what you must do."

"I was already planning on waiting to challenge you," muttered Ash as he ignored the fact that Sabrina was actively reading his mind. "I can wait a couple of days. Right now, this operation comes first. Also, you're right. I do need to work with Clefairy on defense against psychics. I got so caught up teaching her Stored Power, the past couple of days, that I forgot to look into how to create mental barriers."

"Leave that to me," answered Sabrina monotonously. "I will teach you how to train your pokemon to defend against psychics. It's the least I can do. You are helping me protect my city after all."

Ash's jaw dropped. Sabrina, the most powerful human psychic in the world, was going to teach him how to protect his pokemons' minds against mental assailments, but why? Why would Sabrina offer to help a challenger prior to their battle? It seemed sort of counter-productive. What exactly was her motive?

"I wouldn't necessarily say I have a motive," said Sabrina, reading Ash's mind once again. "If anything, I'd say that I merely wish to help. Mental barriers are easy to put up when you know what you are doing. But, if done incorrectly, it can take ages. Ask your friends, they would agree."

"She's right…" muttered Austin, "it took me forever to help my pokemon put up the mental barriers. It wasn't until I caught Golduck that I really learned how to do it. The best way to put up defenses against psychics is with the help of one."

"It's a rather short process with a psychics help," added Wallace. "It pretty much requires the exposure of psychic essence. It's very possible to do it without a psychic. However, it's a much longer process that requires hours of meditation. Exposure to a psychic-type quickens the process, sort of like how the body's immune system creates antibodies when exposed to fragmented bacteria. The brain is part of the body after all. You can think of this psychic exposure kind of like a vaccine. It'll artificially give your pokemons' minds the ability to create the barriers."

"Very well put, Champion Wallace," said Sabrina before diverting her attention back towards Ash. "So, will you accept my help?"

Ash didn't need to think it over. The offer was way too good to pass up. "Of course I will. Thank you so much."

"Good," retorted Sabrina, "now back to the introductions. We will discuss this subject more in-depth once we've rid of Team Rocket's presence in my city."

"Absolutely," said Ash as he watched Sabrina abruptly shift her gaze over to Austin.

"Austin Turner—longtime no see," said Sabrina while holding out her hand.

"You remember me," replied Austin with a surprised look on his face, prior to shaking Sabrina's delicate hand. "I could have sworn you didn't recognize me."

"I don't forget anything," replied the gym leader with a hint of pride in her eyes. "Besides, I could never forget that golduck of yours, quite the unforgettable specimen."

"Thanks," retorted Austin with a smirk. "Golduck's grown a lot since I challenged you."

"Your memories say so," said Sabrina, "It will be a valuable asset against Team Rocket."

"Ah, so you guys do know each other?" interrupted Wallace. "I figured as much."

"Yes. We have met," replied Sabrina with vacant eyes. "Austin Turner came to my gym a couple of years ago seeking the Marsh Badge. We had a four-on-four match. He won. Austin Turner was the only rookie, with more than three badges, to beat me that year. Although other than my hypno, I didn't use any pokemon from my true team. Nonetheless, it was an impressive feat. Hypno alone is enough to wipe the floor with most veteran challengers."

Austin scratched the back of his head sheepishly as a result of the praise. "Eh, I probably got lucky. Anyways, it's nice to see you again, Sabrina."

"Nice to see you as well," spoke Sabrina before pivoting her attention over to Bill, who she glanced over with a judgmental eye.

"What?" asked Bill snootily, "is there something you'd like to say?"

"Nothing…I just can't get over your abominable disguise," chided an expressionless Sabrina, prior to addressing everyone. "Anyways, shall we take a seat? We have a lot to discuss."

In response to Sabrina's suggestion, everyone took a seat at one end of the conference table. One look at Bill, and Ash could clearly tell that he was desperately trying to refrain from a snide remark. It appeared that the famous researcher had realized that the forthcoming meeting was more important than his pride.

"Now, where do you suppose we should start?" asked Wallace, initiating the discussion.

"Right before we left the Pokemon Center, you said you had a plan," replied Bill while shifting back to his normal, intuitive disposition. "How about we start there?"

"Yes, Champion Wallace," inserted Sabrina, "if you have a suggestion, I would love to hear it."

"Very well," answered Wallace, "this plan is reliant upon the idea that there are two Rocket hideouts in the city: one where they're keeping Robert, and the other, where their main forces for this operation reside."

"I see, so you believe there are two locations as well," answered Sabrina.

"According to all of the information Bill has already given me, yes, I believe there are most likely two locations."

"Interesting," murmured Sabrina, "I can see this plan floating amongst your thoughts. It is bold, but it just might work."

"How about you fill the rest of us non-psychics in then," groaned Bill with a look of irritation.

Ash leaned forward in his chair as he anticipated Wallace's words.

"Well…" drawled Wallace, "in order for this plan to go smoothly, we'll need two teams…"

XXX

"At this rate, he's going to be a monster," praised Wallace as he watched Ash's muscular squirtle spin throughout the air like a propeller.

"He's got a real knack for close combat," said Ash with a grin. "I can't wait until he evolves. He's going to make one hell of a wartortle."

It had been about an hour since their meeting concerning Team Rocket, and Ash wanted to do a little bit of training with Squirtle. The turtle pokemon had gotten the least amount of work throughout the past couple of days, and he wasn't very happy about it. The ten-year-old boy had decided that they would use a portion of today to master Rapid Spin; Squirtle was close to completely grasping it after all.

Besides, Ash was hoping that Squirtle would evolve soon. The more work they put in the faster it would happen. Squirtle had great endurance, so Ash figured that a good training session wouldn't tire him out for tomorrow's mission. It's not like he was sparring. They were just doing some technique training in hopes that Rapid Spin could be ready by tomorrow.

After listening to Wallace's proposition, they could use every bit of extra power that they could acquire…

As Squirtle emerged from his shell, Ash approached the somewhat disoriented water-type. Although it wasn't nearly as bad as when Ash had first started teaching Squirtle Rapid Spin, the stony-faced turtle was still battling the dizzying side-effects. The pokedex revealed that Squirtle's internal recoil would go away in due time, albeit Ash hoped it dissipated sooner rather than later. Rapid Spin would be a formidable technique once finished, and Ash wanted nothing more than to have it as an option against Team Rocket.

"Is it becoming more natural?" asked Ash with a curious eye. "Are you feeling any better?"

Squirtle nodded his head before tensing his leg muscles in preparation to launch into another Rapid Spin.

"Stop, Squirtle," commanded Ash. "Take a breather. Rest is part of the process. We'll pick it up again in a couple of minutes."

The turtle pokemon let out a noise that was similar to that of an aggravated groan before relaxing his contracted muscles. It was pretty apparent that Squirtle wanted to continue to develop Rapid Spin. Nevertheless, Ash knew what was best. It wasn't beneficial to continue to procure any more disequilibrium within Squirtle's vestibular system. A few moments rest, to gain sufficient balance, would be the best course of action.

"Don't complain," muttered Ash lightly, "you know I'm right. There's plenty of time left in the day. No need to spin yourself sick."

For a short moment, Squirtle looked at Ash inexpressively before obediently sitting down cross-legged. It was rather clear that Squirtle was annoyed. The water-type had a lot of pride, and he didn't like the fact that he was being slowed down on account of something trivial like dizziness.

"Two minutes," said Ash, "that's all I'm asking for. After two minutes, you are more than welcome to start at it again."

Squirtle's agitated eyes seemed to lighten a bit. He could wait, two minutes wasn't very long after all.

"You've got quite the iron-willed water-type," snickered Wallace with a smile. "He definitely has the drive to be a great one."

"That's for sure," answered Ash as he turned away from his squirtle. "Iron-willed and poker-faced, those two words explain Squirtle in a nutshell."

The turtle pokemon crossed his arms and followed their conversation with his eyes. His vision was still a little blurry because of all of the Rapid Spins. However, with every second that passed by, he was starting to feel a little less flushed. The recovery time was most definitely diminishing. Soon it would be vacant, leaving him capable of using Rapid Spin at will without any repercussions.

"Ash, can I talk to you real quick while Squirtle's resting?" asked Wallace as he grasped the ten-year-old's shoulder.

"Of course…what is it?" asked Ash with a curious disposition.

"I just want to talk about your role in this operation," said Wallace. "Are you sure you're up for it? I'm aware that I have given you and Austin a lot of responsibility, but I don't want you to feel like you're obligated to participate. The ACE trainer trainees are more than strong enough to handle your team's job on their own.

"To be quite frank, they don't need you or Austin. That being said, no matter your age, you have a right to help. You've been exposed to Team Rocket; you've seen what they can do. Ash, you no longer are oblivious to the anguish of this world. A pokemon trainer that has seen the face of evil and chosen not to run can no longer be looked at as a child."

Ash didn't think twice. "I want to help. Even if they don't need me, I need to be there. I'm strong enough to fight."

A small smile formed across Wallace's face. "That's what I thought. You're a brave kid, Ash. No doubt about it."

"Thanks," muttered Ash as he bashfully scratched the back of his head.

Even though Ash was nervous, he was kind of looking forward to taking on Team Rocket. The ten-year-old boy needed to face them. He needed to confront the fear that was welling up inside him. The past three days had been brimming with intrusive thoughts and anxiety. Ash needed tomorrow in order to cinch his nerves. The anticipation was killing him. Until he came face-to-face with the organization that mercilessly blew up the SS _Anne_, he wouldn't be able to step forward with confidence. Simply put, this was a test. Destiny was testing his fortitude. How would he fare? He had to know.

Ash's thoughts were interrupted when he saw Squirtle stand up out of the corner of his eye. Although his facial expression was lifeless, the turtle pokemon's eyes portrayed vigor. He was ready to continue his training.

"Well, that's all I had to say," muttered an amused Wallace. "I'll let you get back to your training."

"Alright," answered Ash, "thanks for your concern, Wallace. It means a lot."

"Concern comes with friendship," replied Wallace as he began to make his way back to the gym's lounge.

"That's for sure," replied Ash before Wallace's proximity grew too far to speak in his natural intonation. In precedence to Wallace exiting the gym's tile based arena, which Sabrina had given him permission to use, Ash had an idea, "Hey, Wallace, wait up!"

Right before exiting the expansive room, the turquoise haired Champion briskly turned around. "What is it!?"

"Squirtle's a water-type, and you're a water-type master!" howled Ash—hands wrapped around his mouth like a megaphone

Wallace started to walk back towards Ash as he guessed the boy's forthcoming request. "And…?"

"Could you give me some pointers, Wallace?" queried Ash with conviction.

"I was starting to think you'd never ask," said Wallace with a smile. "Of course, I'd love to help."

"What do you say, Squirtle?" questioned Ash. "How would you feel about some pointers from the greatest water pokemon trainer on the planet?"

Squirtle's facial expression depicted indifference, albeit his eyes gleamed with interest. Ash had spent enough time with his water-type to know that he was excited. It was time to master Rapid Spin and procure as much wisdom from Wallace as possible. They would need it against Team Rocket.

XXX

"Who would have thought that the Saffron Gym had rooms?" questioned Austin as he threw himself onto one of the two twin beds.

"Not only is this a gym, but it is also my home," answered Sabrina tonelessly, "I had this room arranged for you two last week. As I said earlier, I have been aware of your arrival for quite some time."

The room was medium-sized and rather plain. Ash didn't mind the lack of embellishment, though. At least he had a bed to sleep in. Well, even if he didn't stay at the gym, he would have slept fine. Their original plan was to stay at the Pokemon Center. Even Bill was unaware of the fact that the Saffron Gym had rooms that they could stay in. In fact, Bill was offended that Sabrina hadn't mentioned it to him before now. It was pretty clear that Sabrina either didn't like Bill or highly enjoyed messing with him. Whatever the case, it was amusing.

Other than the two twin beds, the only other noteworthy things in the room were a small portable desk that supported a desktop monitor and a quaint, frizzy, purple rug in the center of the room. As Ash sat down on his one person bed, he sighed. The lack of sleep, over the past couple of nights, had him instantly yearning to crawl under the covers. If Austin didn't mind the ethereal presence in the room, maybe Ash would let Haunter eat his dreams tonight. A dreamless sleep sounded pretty good to the tired ten-year-old.

"I'll leave you two to settle in," said Sabrina with vacant eyes. "My chef will have dinner ready shortly. Feel free to use the computer if you wish."

"Sounds good!" blurted Austin as he stretched out in his bed.

"Thanks, Sabrina," answered Ash, "how will we know when dinner's ready?"

The dark-haired boy hadn't had anything substantial to eat since breakfast, and his stomach definitely wasn't happy about it. It was blatantly clear that everyone in the room could hear his belly's pleas for sustenance. However, there were no reactions from Austin or Sabrina. The psychic virtuoso didn't really show any emotion towards anything, and Austin had no room to judge. His stomach was protesting just as loudly maybe even more so.

"I'll send Wallace or Bill," replied Sabrina monotonously.

Ash affirmatively nodded his head as Austin gave Sabrina a dopey thumbs-up.

"Okay," said Sabrina as she began to back out of the room. "I am going to go now. I need to have a quick conversation with Wallace and Bill concerning tomorrow. There are a lot of components of this plan that still need to be put in motion."

"Alrighty," drawled Austin, "see you in a bit."

Ash simply waved, not seeing the need to say goodbye with his words. Sabrina was probably reading his mind anyway. Besides, it wasn't like anyone was actually going anywhere. They would all be reconvening soon for dinner, which Ash couldn't wait for.

After Sabrina left the room, there was a brief moment of silence before Austin spoke up. "So, what do you think, dude?"

"About?" queried Ash, even though he was rather certain he knew what Austin was talking about.

Austin emitted an exasperated sigh. "This plan…I can't get my mind off of it. There are a lot of ifs and not a lot of facts. I'm a little worried, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am," replied Ash, "but it's the best course of action. We don't have very much information to go off of."

"I know…" drawled Austin, "but still...Team Rocket's been dormant for a long time, who knows what they have at their disposal? We can't take them lightly. I know you and I should be up against grunts, but how can we know for sure? We've got to be ready for anything."

"I agree," answered Ash, "that's why we've got to stick together like Wallace said. The trainees should be able to take on anything that's out of our league. If we have each other's backs, we should be fine."

"To be honest, it's not us that I'm worried about," said Austin.

"Huh?" questioned Ash—confused. "If you're not worried about us, what are you worried about?"

"Everyone..."

"Everyone?" asked Ash, "what do you mean everyone?"

"Well…" mumbled Austin, "if things go awry, who knows what kind of damage will be accumulated. Ash, were in the middle of a freaking city. Think of all the people. We may know that the location of the warehouse they are holding Robert in is isolated, but what about the other hideout? Where the hell is it? We're relying on Growlithe and any other ACE trainer trainees' tracking pokemon to find it."

He paused.

"Dude, what if it's in the middle of the city? What the hell do we do then? So many people could get hurt. Pokemon battles are one thing, but this is different. Our pokemon are going to be fighting with all they got. The aftermath could be catastrophic."

Ash was surprised to say the least. Austin was usually calm and level-headed, but right now the teenager was legitimately distressed. He was thinking of things that Ash hadn't really considered beforehand. They hadn't even talked about these different scenarios in the meeting. All of their discussions had implied that Team Rocket was probably hiding out in the outskirts of the city. If they were located in the heart of Saffron things could get really ugly.

This was a top-secret operation...not even the League knew about it. Ash assumed that Sabrina had yet to inform the ACE trainer trainees; they hadn't arrived after all. There were a lot of ifs, ands, and buts—almost nothing was concrete. The citizens had no idea what was about to happen. Team Rocket had no idea what was about to happen. And unfortunately, they themselves had no idea what was going to happen. There only edge was that they knew there would be a battle. Hopefully, it didn't come with too many repercussions.

"All we can do is fight and protect what's in front of us," muttered Ash, "the rest will just have to fall into place...it has to. Because, honestly, we won't know the answer to any of it until it's staring us straight in the face."

Austin released another long sigh, "I guess you're right…I mean, no matter what, the plan we have is all we've got. Worrying about it doesn't really do us any good."

"Exactly," replied Ash.

"But…" bemoaned Austin, "there is one thing that's been eating at me for the past couple of days. It's really freaking me out."

"What is it?" asked Ash as he sat up on the edge of his bed.

"Err…it's just," mumbled Austin, "Why do you think Team Rocket is so desperate to get their hands on the Master Ball? What kind of messed up motive could they possibly have?"

Ash had thought about it briefly before now, but had discarded the thought immediately. Whatever reason Team Rocket had for destroying the SS _Anne_ and infiltrating Silph Co. couldn't be all that rational. Although it would be interesting to find out if they had a concrete plan for the almighty capture device, Ash sort of just figured that they were after it for power's sake.

"Do you think that they're after it with something specific in mind?" asked Ash.

"I mean, why else would they go after it?" questioned Austin as he pulled on his hair. "Why would they choose now to reveal themselves? There's got to be a reason. Why would they go to such lengths for the Master Ball? They freaking kidnapped Robert Montgomery, Ash. And in order to do it, they blew up the damn SS _Anne_. Who in their right mind does that for a capture device? No, I don't believe it. There's something bigger going on here. They're after something, and it doesn't stop at Silph Co. There's something specific they need the Master Ball for…but what is it?"

"Now that you mention it, why would they—"

Austin's eyes lit up as he interrupted. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

"What!?" blurted Ash unable to ignore Austin's course language. "What is it!?"

"I hope I'm wrong…" bemoaned Austin, "but it's the only thing that makes sense."

"Come on. Tell me," implored Ash, "what is it?"

"...I have a feeling they're after something Legendary…"

"Legendary? But Legendaries are legendary for a reason. They're supposed to be nearly impossible to find let alone catch."

Austin shook his head. "It doesn't mean it's impossible. People have captured some of the lesser Legendaries before."

"I know that, but—"

"Ash, why else would they need the Master Ball?" interjected Austin. "Think about it. After all of the heinous things they've done over the years, they disappeared. All of a sudden, they're back and they're after a capture device that is exponentially stronger than an ultra ball. Dude, they're going to freaking use it to catch a Legendary. What other explanations are there?"

Ash had to admit, Austin's logic made a lot of sense. Moreover, if Austin was right, their mission just became a lot more pivotal than it already was. That was a scary thought. A lot rode on this top-secret operation. If Team Rocket got their hands on the Master Ball, not only would they acquire an almighty capture device, but they would also hold the key to wielding any pokemon that they desired. They had to warn the adults; they needed to know.

"We have to go tell Wallace!" spluttered Ash. "You're right, there's something more to this plot."

"Don't bother," said Austin with a sigh. "He probably already knows…"

Ash raised an eyebrow. "If he knows, why wouldn't he have told us?"

"Because," said Austin as he rolled his eyes, "no matter how much they praise us for being strong, for our age, they can't help but see us as kids. They probably didn't want to worry us. Ash, there is some weird stuff going on here; so many questions. Sabrina, Wallace, and Bill are aware of the stakes that are involved with this mission. They have to be, especially Sabrina. That woman is too strong of a psychic to not be aware of all of the scenarios. Despite the risks, there's a reason she is going along with Wallace's plan. I'm worried because of the people, but so is Sabrina. This city means everything to her. She wouldn't let us fight in it unless she had no other choice."

Ash took a deep breath before answering. "Dammit, Austin, what have we gotten ourselves into?"

"I don't freaking know," answered Austin, "but whatever it is, tomorrow's just the beginning. Wallace was lying. There's not a storm coming. There's many…"

Ash had a short moment to soak in Austin's comment before there was a loud knock on the door. It caused both boys to jolt on account of the intensely foreboding conversation.

"Ash, Austin—supper!" bellowed Bill's boisterous, well-cultured voice from the other side of the door.

Ash stood up from his bed and walked over to the door. He proceeded to open it, revealing Bill's normal chassis and depiction. He had gotten rid of the disguise, for now, choosing to roam the gym in some casual garments. Ash thought it was strange seeing Bill in normal attire. Including the disguise, he'd never actually seen the man wear anything close to the word casual.

"So that's what you normally look like," drawled Austin as he lifted himself out of bed.

"Yup," replied Bill, "believe it or not, I don't always look like a bloody munter."

"What does that even mean?" asked Austin with a curious eye.

"Don't worry about it," replied Bill. "You're too young to comprehend my intelligent articulation."

"That's not true," said the familiar, silvery voice of Wallace as he suddenly entered the room. "I'm just as old as you, and I don't understand half the words that come out of your mouth."

Wallace was wearing the same semi-formal attire as earlier, albeit his long turquoise colored hair had been tied back into a ponytail. His demeanor looked tired; Ash figured that the quick meeting the Champion had just had with Sabrina and Bill had exhausted him.

"Maybe I just have a phenomenal vocabulary," replied Bill in a snooty voice. "You should probably brush up on your word choice. Spend some time in a dictionary or better yet a thesaurus. It would do wonders for your intellect."

"What's the point in that?" asked Austin, "if nobody else understands what the hell you're saying."

"Not to mention the fact that I'm pretty sure some of the words you use aren't even real words," inserted Wallace.

"_Psht_, whatever!" blurted Bill. "Anyways, we should probably head over to the dining hall before Sabrina skewers us with her mind."

Ash had to admit, he was amused by his friends' peculiar antics. However, he couldn't help but dwell on what he and Austin had spoken about earlier. Is it possible that Team Rocket was planning something even bigger? We're Bill and Wallace keeping information from them? Or, at the very least, fabricating the truth in order to squelch their anxiety?

Ash was brought back to reality as Bill waved a hand in front of Ash's bemused face.

"_Hello_…earth to, Ash," drawled Bill in attempt to procure the boy's attention. "You've barely said two words since opening the door. Is something wrong?"

Wallace gave Ash a curious glance while Austin shot him a look that portrayed disconcertion. It was rather apparent that Austin knew what was troubling Ash and didn't want him sharing their conversation from earlier.

"Err…yeah. I'm fine, just tired," lied Ash, "can we go eat now?"

Bill shrugged, whereas Wallace gave Ash a look that depicted that he knew Ash wasn't telling the truth.

"Yeah, let's go!" exclaimed Bill with excited eyes. "I'm bloody starving!"

As they exited the room, Austin quietly whispered something in Ash's ear without Wallace and Bill noticing. "Keep our conversation between us."

Ash understood Austin's reason for staying quiet. Although Ash didn't actually think that Wallace and Bill would take them off of the mission if they were to disclose that they were aware of Team Rocket's true intention, it was still possible. If Austin's assumption was correct, and Team Rocket was after a Legendary, than this business about Team Rocket wouldn't be solved after Silph Co...Team Rocket had a deeper agenda, and their return would most likely result in many more operations such as this one.

Despite the fact that Ash and Austin were a part of this mission, it was highly unlikely that Wallace and Bill would want them to get further involved with stopping Team Rocket, especially when they weren't there to watch over them. After this top-secret mission, Wallace would be returning to his home region of Hoenn, and chances are, Bill would be heading back to his lighthouse in order to resume studying Dragonite.

Simply put, Wallace and Bill had to be worried that Ash and Austin would want to help. Therefore, they were not only keeping the boys in the dark on account of their adolescent mental fortitude, but they were also trying to ensure that their vendetta against Team Rocket didn't cause them to do anything stupid in the future.

It all made sense. However, it was a bit idiosyncratic. It's not like Ash planned on traveling around the region in search of leads on Team Rocket. He had a journey to get back to after all. In addition, Austin was competing in Johto this year. Ash assumed that the chiseled faced teenager would be heading back to the foreign region as soon as things in Saffron were cleared up.

Of course, Ash would help if Team Rocket tried to wreak havoc in front of his face or if his help was requested of by the League—which was highly unlikely. But, he'd have to be an idiot to try and take Team Rocket on alone. No. If it were up to Ash, his maladjusted connection with Team Rocket would be severed after tomorrow. He just wanted to resume his travels with his pokemon. Hopefully, things would settle down after Saffron City.

Ash snapped back to reality as the smell of a home cooked meal wafted down the hall and into his nostrils. He'd almost lost track of his surroundings on account of his racing thoughts. Ash decided, then and there, that thinking could come later. Right now, he had an empty belly to appease.

XXX

After getting one of the best night's sleep he'd had since starting his journey, Ash stood up from his bed and stretched. His muscles ached—an unfortunate side-effect of the grueling past couple days of travel.

On the foot of the bed lay Growlithe whose eyes were barely open. Ash could tell that the pup was reluctant to get up. Floating by Ash's side was a jolly Haunter: the reason behind Ash's fantastic night's slumber.

Austin agreed to let Haunter stay outside of his pokeball while they slept, although there was one condition. Haunter had to eat the teen's dreams as well, which wasn't much of a problem. Going off of the good-natured ghost's chipper mood, Ash had a feeling that everything went well.

In addition, Austin was still snoring away like a congested walrein—which meant that Haunter had done his job. Like Ash, the teen hadn't been getting very much sleep since the SS Anne. The damage that was done to their minds was most evident in their dreams. Where, without Haunter's help, they had no means to protect themselves from their minds.

"Growlithe, time to get up," said Ash as he sifted through his backpack in order to change his clothes.

The puppy pokemon emitted what sounded like an annoyed groan as he slowly stood up from the foot of the bed. Haunter proceeded to float over to the lethargic canine with a giant smile on his face. Ash couldn't help but smile as he watched his goofy ghost-type gently pet Growlithe on the head with his shadowy hand. On account of Haunter's unorthodox behavior, Growlithe's expression lightened up. The charismatic poltergeist had quite the knack for putting the puppy pokemon in a good mood.

Ash smiled at his two friends before diverting his attention towards solely Growlithe. "Can you wake-up Austin? I would have had Haunter do it, but I don't think that would go over too well."

Growlithe nodded before gracefully leaping off of the bed. Haunter simply laughed, more than likely musing over his idea of waking the sleeping teenager up.

As Ash finished getting dressed, by placing his Pokemon League cap over his messy hair, Growlithe used his tongue to wake-up his trainer's friend. It took a couple rounds of Austin slapping his own face, in response to the tickling sensation of Growlithe's wet tongue, before the sleeping trainer finally reemerged from comatose.

"Err…what the hell, Growlithe?" mumbled Austin. "Stop…"

"Wake-up, Austin," chuckled Ash, amused by the teenager's reaction, "it's time to get up. It's seven o'clock. Wallace wanted us up by six-thirty."

"I don't see him," groaned Austin as he concealed his face underneath the bed's covers, "if it was that important for us to get up so early, don't you think he would have come and woken us up already?"

All of a sudden, as if on cue, the door to the room turbulently swung open causing Ash and Austin to flinch.

"I've let you two sleep in late enough!" howled Wallace slightly out of character. "Come on, it's time for breakfast!"

After shaking off the surprise, Ash shrugged indifferently. He was already ready after all. Austin, on the other hand, had covered his entire body under the covers in order to hide from the inevitable.

"I hate everyone!" hissed Austin, causing Ash and Wallace to break out into laughter. "You guys are seriously the worst!"

"I told you six-thirty," said Wallace with an amused smile. "How am I the bad guy? I let you sleep in."

"You don't have to be so freaking loud," groaned Austin. "It's common courtesy. Being a Champion doesn't give you free reigns to be an asshole."

"Whoa there, buddy," said Wallace in between surges of laughter, "watch your language."

The Champion proceeded to walk over to Austin's bed and impetuously rip the covers off of him. As the comforter wafted throughout the air, Austin's livid facial expression was revealed. He was curled up in a ball and appeared to be as angry as an enraged primeape. His face was about as red as the scarlet colored pajamas that he wore.

"You are literally devil…"

"You're acting like an idiot," said Wallace. "Ash is already ready. Hurry up and get dressed, or I'll send Swampert in to teach you a lesson."

Austin turned pale at the mention of Wallace's monstrously powerful water-type, "Fine, but don't be surprised if I'm mad at you all day."

"I could honestly care less," replied Wallace. "Once the operation gets started, you won't have any time to think about your animosity towards me."

Ash leaned over and pet Growlithe as Wallace and Austin continued to bicker. After petting his puppy pokemon, the dark-haired boy gestured for Haunter to float over to him.

While ignoring Wallace's lecture to Austin, Ash spoke quietly to Haunter. "Hey, Haunter, can I ask you something?"

Haunter's countenance changed from amused to bemused as he listened attentively in precedence to Ash's forthcoming question.

"I was actually going to ask you this yesterday, but I forgot," muttered Ash as he patted the corporeal ghost in between his upper spikes. "I remember reading somewhere that ghosts can conceal themselves within a being's shadow. Well, I was wondering if you could spend the day in mine. That way you can watch my back. If any hostile Rocket's try to sneak up on me, you can knock them out however you see fit.

Haunter didn't hesitate. With a mischievous grin painted across his face, he frantically nodded his body up and down. The ghost-type then proceeded to disembogue a cacophonous array of laughter before launching his body towards the floor. Within the blink of an eye, Haunter was gone, phasing into an incorporeal reality by means of Ash's shadow.

As Haunter disappeared, the ten-year-old boy suddenly felt a slight chill. It was strange and somewhat alien, reminiscent of the feeling he had in Lavender Town, when he was inside of the Pokemon Tower. Except this time, it felt more internal, almost like a connection of some sort. It wasn't a bad feeling. In fact, he felt safe. He felt like he had something watching over him.

"Weird," said Ash. "Is that feeling coming from you, Haunter?"

Ash watched as Haunter's hands suddenly emerged from Ash's faint shadow. The friendly ghost-type proceeded to pull himself out of the grounded obscuration, revealing his now corporeal face. His smile stretched from one side of his ghostly mug to the other. Ash wasn't quite sure, but it appeared as though Haunter was enjoying being attached to his shadow.

"This is actually kind of cool," muttered Ash as Haunter once again faded into his shadow.

"That it is," inserted Wallace, having finished up scolding Austin. "That was a good idea, Ash. I feel a lot more comfortable leaving you alone now. Haunter's formidable; he should be able to do a good job of protecting you from any grunts."

"Yeah, dude," said Austin, finally fully awake, "good idea. I'll have Golduck put up a barrier as well, and nobody will be able to touch us."

Wallace scratched his chin as he mused. "Yeah, that should be a strong enough defense. Just remember, Team Rocket's pokemon of choice are usually poison-types. At least, that's what all of the old records say. They could have restructured and revamped their resources. However, after seeing that Rocket's arbok back on the SS _Anne_, I highly doubt it. That guy was a little higher up than a typical Rocket grunt, too. I doubt the Rockets that you'll see will be that strong. Maybe a few, but the ACE trainer trainees will be able to handle anyone that you can't. The real problem is going to be the executive, Ariana, and whoever is with her. Sabrina and I should be more than enough, though."

"We'll be fine," said Austin with a smirk. "Remember, I'll be there. Also, I made a couple of switches back at the Pokemon Center. I've got my strongest team with me, so Ash and I will be able to handle anything that Team Rocket throws at us."

"Good. I'm glad you're confident," stated Wallace. "We'll discuss the rest later. For now, let's go to the dining room. Sabrina's chef made us some tofu and rice balls."

"That sounds awesome!" blurted Ash as beautiful images of broiled tofu and onigiri flowed throughout his mind.

"Hell yeah, it does!" exclaimed Austin. "Just let me get dressed, and we can go."

"No way," replied Wallace. "You can catch up when you're done. Ash and I are leaving. We gave you plenty of time to get ready earlier."

"Seriously, man…" groaned Austin with a furrowed eyebrow. "Not cool."

Ash laughed as he led the way through the doorway. "See you in a few, Austin. You better hurry before we eat all of the onigiri."

"And the tofu…" crooned Wallace as he followed Ash out of the room.

"Yup, it's a fact. I hate you guys…" whined Austin while slouching his shoulders and hanging his head.

XXX

After eating breakfast, everyone gathered in the conference room to review the plan one last time. Ash could feel the nervous energy in the room. If it weren't for the fact that his best friend, Growlithe, was right by his side and one of his strongest pokemon, Haunter, was residing within his shadow, Ash would likely be completely unglued.

Wallace's goofy attitude from earlier had been replaced by an austere disposition. The Champion's brow rested lower than normal, and his expression was devoid of his typical friendly smile. Wallace's entire countenance had shifted back to resembling the form of the man that had incapacitated the Rockets aboard the SS _Anne_ and willed thousands of passengers to safety.

For the first time, Ash saw the Champion wearing, what the dark-haired boy assumed to be, his battle attire. Wallace wore his typical colors, however, his clothing was made out of a sleek material that appeared to be easy to move in. He wore a satin, white-based, button-up shirt with a streak of turquoise shooting across the front. His pants were smooth and lilac, covering the entirety of his long legs. Wallace's shoes were white, elegant, and athletic looking. Ash assumed that they were well-equipped for running. Last of all, his outfit was topped off by a long, lustrous, white cloak that adhered to Wallace's shirt. Ash had to admit, it looked like a cape. However, now was not the time to give the Champion a hard time.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ash could see Bill holding his hand over the lower half of his face in order to keep his mouth shut. Despite the fact that he most likely wanted to make a snide remark in regard to Wallace's cape, even the pokemon researcher was able to sense the pressure in the room.

Bill was wearing casual clothing. He would be staying behind at the gym after all. The pokemon researcher didn't have any pokemon of his own to use in battle. Besides, they needed someone to stick back and work as a communication link. Someone had to perform the duty of keeping each team informed on the other's status.

Sitting at the head of the conference table was Sabrina. As usual, her disposition was empty of all emotion. Howbeit, considering the circumstances, she appeared to be much more foreboding. Like Wallace, she was wearing her battle attire. It was hard to see because of her current positioning, but Ash had gotten a good look earlier during breakfast.

The foundation of her outfit was a black, skin-tight jumpsuit that emphasized her above-average curves. The jumpsuit was accessorized externally by a long-sleeved, glossy, burgundy, turtle-neck shirt that stopped just below her chest, leaving the black material over her skinny stomach visible. At the end of both sleeves were two bright yellow stripes that contrasted nicely against the burgundy. She wore a short mini-skirt over her jumpsuit that matched her crop top.

In addition, just like her shirt and skirt, her long leather boots were burgundy. Rising up and out of both of her low heel boots was a piece of bright yellow cloth that covered her knees. Ash couldn't quite tell if the cloth was annexed to the boot or if Sabrina was just wearing really long socks. The most interesting part of Sabrina's outfit, though, was the obnoxiously thick metal bracelets that were bound to her wrists. Ash wasn't positive, but he had a feeling that they served a unique purpose because of their machinelike resemblance…

After taking a good look at Sabrina and Wallace, Ash was sort of upset that he didn't have a cool outfit to fight Team Rocket in. Thankfully, he wasn't alone. Austin was forced to partake in the mission wearing his travel clothes as well. Speaking of Austin, the teenager was finally in a better mood. It had taken him all of breakfast to get over how Ash and Wallace had woken him up this morning. In Ash's opinion, the chiseled faced teenager was being melodramatic. However, Ash couldn't help but be amused by it. The whole situation was utterly hilarious after all.

Anyways, the first to speak up was Wallace. As they sat around the conference table, the Champion cleared his throat before addressing the group.

"Alright, I think we should begin by reviewing our main objectives," said Wallace as he rested his elbows on the table.

The Champion paused for a brief moment while setting his eyes on Sabrina. "Sabrina and I will be leading an attack on the warehouse that they're keeping Robert in. We'll only be taking ten ACE trainer trainees with us. We're going to keep our operation small. Our pokemon should be more than strong enough to take out Executive Ariana and whoever is with her."

"Are you sure you shouldn't take more men?" asked Austin. "All we really know is that Mr. Montgomery is in the warehouse. We have no clue how many men Team Rocket has inside."

"Ten is more than sufficient," inserted Sabrina. "Anymore would just get in the way. The Champion and I are good for at least a hundred grunts each, probably more."

"Damn, one hundred…" drawled Austin, "that's a lot of pokemon."

"I said one hundred grunts," replied Sabrina monotonously. "That's assuming they each have at least three pokemon."

Ash and Austin's jaws simultaneously dropped. If what Sabrina said was correct, the two masters' joint power was worth more than six hundred Rocket pokemon.

"However, they probably won't have nearly that many men," informed Wallace. "Remember, we think they are trying to limit the amount of grunts that are aware of Robert's location. My guess is that they will have a smaller team of lesser ranked Rockets accompanying the executive. Nevertheless, we'll be fine. Sabrina and I will take care of them."

"Okay," muttered Austin, "so if you guys have your end on lock, why don't we just move on to ours?"

"I was getting there," retorted an annoyed Wallace, "but I'll let Sabrina explain your mission. You'll be more likely to listen and less likely to interrupt if it comes from her."

"I can't argue with that," blurted Austin as he humorously winked at Wallace.

The Champion rolled his eyes in response to Austin's comment while Sabrina spoke up.

"Well, the first thing I would like to discuss is the fact that the ACE trainer trainees arrived in Saffron earlier this morning and have been quietly made aware of the plan," informed Sabrina. "They have three arcanine and four growlithe on hand. So, Ash Ketchum, your growlithe will not be alone while tracking down the hidden hideout."

"Gotchya," answered Ash, with a nod, before leaning down and petting his best friend behind the ears.

Growlithe responded by licking Ash on the hand as he lay down by his trainer's feet.

"I have a quick question," said Austin, interrupting once again. "I promise I'll shut up after this one, though."

Sabrina replied before Austin even had a chance to verbalize his question. "Good question, Austin Turner..."

Ash had to say, the whole mind reading thing was beginning to become rather normal—which was a surprise. The ten-year-old boy never, in a million years, would have guessed that Sabrina's ability to snatch thoughts harmlessly from their minds would ever cease to be anomalistic.

"The reason why the Champion and I deem it safe to inform the ACE trainer trainees is because of their irrelevance amongst the rest of the League. To put it bluntly, it's highly unlikely that Team Rocket would go through the trouble of infiltrating such low ranks, too much risk for such little gain. In addition, to be safe, I have already done a detailed examination of all of their minds. They are, in fact, clean of corruption. There is nothing to worry about. Was that answer sufficient enough for you, Austin Turner?"

"Um…yeah, that was good enough for me," replied Austin—impressed by Sabrina's thoroughly efficient answer.

"Anyways," said Sabrina, "now that Austin Turner's curiosity has been resolved, I would like to be able to explain your mission without being interrupted."

"Sure," answered Ash.

"Fair enough," replied Austin.

"So, the first phase of the operation will be for you two boys to rendezvous with the fifty ACE trainer trainees that will be accompanying you on your mission," stated Sabrina.

Ash listened attentively as Sabrina continued.

"The ACE trainer trainees are currently stationed at Silph Co. in order to maintain our oblivious ruse," said Sabrina. "After we are done with our meeting, I plan on sending one of my alakazam over to pick them up. There has been no movement within the city, so we assume that we have time before Team Rocket strikes. The alakazam that I send over will be dropping off both of my mr. mime, who will be left with the task of creating a believable illusion."

She paused.

"With ten trainees accompanying Wallace and I and fifty trainees joining you two that should leave twenty trainees to man headquarters. My two mr. mime will have no problem making them look like eighty. They've been trained to perform illusions way more difficult than mere augmented replication."

Sabrina ran her fingers through her hair while she zeroed in on Ash.

"Once the Ace trainer trainees get here, Ash Ketchum, I would like you to introduce yourself to the other growlithe and arcanine trainers. You will be working directly with them. With the help of the other canines, your job will be to lead your team to the hidden hideout. In case I didn't clarify this yesterday, this whole thing is possible because of the stray Rocket that we captured. We will have the tracking canines pick up the grunt's scent. The grunt should have left a trail, and the growlithe line is the only species capable of finding it and following it back to its highest duration point within the city—which should be the base."

Once again, Ash leaned over and scratched Growlithe behind the ears. His friend had been given a lot of responsibility, and Ash wanted to make sure that he was being as supportive as possible. Today was a perfect opportunity for the fire-type to prove his worth as a leader. Ash had no doubt that the puppy pokemon would take this chance and run with it.

"Although we are going through the trouble of creating a large scale illusion at Silph Co., our hope is that this battle will never reach the building. Once you track down the hideout, you are to waste no time. Leave all of the psychic pokemon to the ACE trainer trainees, and make sure that Haunter and Golduck protect both of you from any psychic incursions. I doubt that any of the psychic pokemon they have are individually formidable, so you should be fine. The trainees will be able to handle them."

Even though he was nervous, Ash was confident that he and Austin would be safe from any psychic attacks. Haunter would have type advantage and would be dwelling within his shadow, whereas Golduck would be protecting them with psychically induced protective enchantments. They would be fine. Ash's only worry, concerning psychics, had to do with his other pokemon. They would be fighting outside of Ash and Austin's protection, and the dark-haired trainer had yet to help them procure the mental barriers necessary to fend off psychics.

"Do not fret, Ash Ketchum," stated Sabrina, clearly reading his mind, "The trainees' first task will be to incapacitate the psychics. Amongst their pokemon are formidable dark-types. Psychics are difficult to train correctly. I doubt that Team Rocket has taken the time to train each and every psychic to a level in which they can overcome distinct type advantage. More than likely, they are working with quantity and not quality. The trainees should be able to make quick work of them, so that you can battle the grunts' pokemon without having to worry about the status of their minds."

Ash nodded in response to Sabrina's reassuring words. Out of his peripherals, Ash saw Austin's attentive disposition. The teenager's eyes were fastened on Sabrina as she carried on.

"Even though we can assume that there are many Rockets stationed at the hideout," articulated Sabrina, "we have no way to make a significant estimate on their numbers. I'd assume there are at least a couple hundred, but who knows. There could be more, there could be less. Just be careful and take out as many as you can. I've analyzed these trainees. They're stronger than I originally assumed. Your mission should go smoothly. Once you've wiped out the base, restrain the grunts. Bill Montgomery will be briefing you on our status. Once the Champion and I give you the clear, contact Saffron's Police Department, they will help you take the Rockets into custody."

Sabrina proceeded to casually rest her chin on her palm. "That is the entirety of your mission. Now would be a good time to ask questions."

Just as Ash was about to open up his mouth to speak, Bill said his first words of the entire meeting.

"In regard to the communication link, Austin, do you have a mobile phone that I can contact just in case you get split up from Ash? I have everyone else's numbers memorized."

Austin nodded before answering, "Yeah, I've got a pokegear. I'll give you my number after the meeting."

"Great," replied Bill while restlessly tapping his fingers on the table.

Judging by his demeanor, Ash could tell Bill was extremely nervous, which made sense given the fact that the focal point of this mission was to rescue his father. However, Ash thought that the young pokemon researcher was handling the present circumstances well, especially since he was typically overdramatic.

"That's all I have to say," muttered Bill, "other than, good luck. Also, I'll be sending you updates via text messaging. It'll be easier on you if you don't have to answer a bloody phone during the mission. Just send me information whenever you can. That way, I can keep everyone in the loop."

"Gotchya," muttered Ash.

"Will do," answered Austin.

"Absolutely," replied Wallace.

"I'll be using long-distance telepathy," retorted Sabrina with a blank expression, "but, nonetheless, you will be updated regularly."

"Whatever floats your boat," replied Bill as he leaned back in his chair and winked at Ash. "Now, resume your Q&amp;A. Sorry for interrupting, Ash."

"It's fine," said Ash. "I only have one question."

"What is it, Ash?" asked Wallace, chiming back in.

"Where is the captured grunt being held?" asked Ash curiously. "How far do we have to go in order to get a reference scent? The stronger the scent…the easier it will be to track. It makes the most sense for us to pick the aroma up directly from the source. A secondary item, like an article of clothing or something else that he's touched, will make finding this hideout much more difficult."

Ash paused to look down at his partner, who was comfortably nuzzled up against his leg, before continuing, "Growlithe could track it down either way, but the potency of the scent will quicken the process. Especially, since we're tracking something complex like duration. This guy could have wandered all over the city before you arrested him—which means his scent will be scattered all over the place. We're going to need as good of a sample as we can get. Growlithe should be able to lock onto the place where this grunt's scent is most potent, but in order to be efficient, he'll need a strong reference scent."

In antecedence to giving Ash a verbal response, Sabrina casually pointed down at the ground.

"Holy crap, he's in Hell!?" blurted Austin with wide eyes. "You killed him!?"

For a split-second, the room was silent before Sabrina replied. "No, Austin Turner, he is not in Hell. There is a cellar underneath the gym. The grunt is being held in there."

Ash couldn't help but laugh at Austin's hilarious outburst, especially when put in contrast with Sabrina's deadpan answer. Wallace and Bill joined the fresh faced boy as they too got a kick out of the teenager's humorous upheaval. Austin's face turned red in response to the laughter. It was rather apparent that he was embarrassed.

"It was an honest mistake," mumbled Austin in between forced laughter. "I didn't know the gym had a cellar. How was I supposed to know that you were pointing to a freaking basement?"

"Fair enough," inserted Wallace in between laughter, "but what would make you think she was pointing towards Hell. I mean, why would we kill our one and only hostage? That doesn't make any sense."

"Screw you, Wallace," groaned Austin, his face as read as a tomato due to embarrassment. "I swear you're out to get me today."

"I see the mystique of being a Champion has faded away," said Sabrina as she glanced over at Wallace. "These boys treat you more like an older brother than a man of power."

Wallace scratched the back of his head as he sighed. "Tell me about it…"

As much as Ash was enjoying the comical display, he wanted to hear what else Sabrina had to say about the captured Rocket. He cleared his throat in order to garner everyone's attention. "So, Sabrina, will you be taking us down to the cellar once the trainees arrive?"

"Yes," replied Sabrina as she gave Wallace and Austin a devastating look that beckoned them to shut up, "that was the plan. Once Yin picks up the ACE trainer trainees, I will take you and the other canine trainers down to the cellar to pick up the scent."

"I assume Yin is your alakazam," answered Ash.

"That is correct," replied Sabrina. "Yin is one of my alakazam. She is rather adroit when it comes to large-scale teleportation, although she has a long way to go before she is up to par with her father."

"Her father?" questioned Bill with a look of intrigue.

"Yin is the daughter of my strongest alakazam, Kaz," said Sabrina. "All of my alakazam are related in some fashion."

"I thought your league registered team is an abra and a kadabra?" questioned Ash. "Just how many pokemon belonging to the abra line do you have?"

Sabrina answered the question without a moment's hesitation. "I have four alakazam, three kadabra, and three abra, so ten in total.

"Damn…" drawled Austin. "That's a lot of psi pokemon."

"They're my favorite species," replied Sabrina with a small smile on her face. Ash was surprised, it was the first time the gym leader had legitimately smiled since he'd met her. "They have been cherished by my family for centuries. I could never have too many of them."

"Wow!" blurted Bill. "You must really love them if they got you to smile. I didn't even know you were capable of such a thing."

"Shut your mouth, Bill Montgomery, before I turn your mind into mush," hissed Sabrina as her disposition suddenly became as cold as ice.

In response to Sabrina's intimidating display, Bill slouched back in his chair and looked away from her. For the first time, Ash saw the otherside of Sabrina: The cold, witchlike gym leader that sends hundreds of trainers home devastated each and every year. It was blatantly obvious that Sabrina was the kind of person who you didn't want as an enemy. Ash almost felt bad for the Rockets that would be forced to go up against her today.

"Relax, Sabrina," inserted Wallace in a soothing tone, "I'm sure Bill didn't mean anything by it."

In subsequence to Wallace's gentle tone, Sabrina relaxed in her chair. "Yes, I apologize. My emotions are a complex subject. I'm afraid much has been sacrificed in order to obtain my power. I do not respond well to jokes concerning my exterior disposition."

"Good to know," replied Bill with a nervous intonation. "I'll refrain from saying them then. However, I don't have that much control over my thoughts."

"I do not get offended by distasteful thoughts," retorted Sabrina. "Even I struggle with unwanted and uncontrollable thoughts. It is part of what makes us human. A thought is a thought. It is merely information and says nothing about your character. What you do with that thought is who you are."

"Makes sense," said Bill before trying to divert the conversation. "So, does anyone else have any questions, or has everything been addressed?"

"I do," muttered Austin as he goofily raised his hand.

In antecedence to Austin's question, Ash looked at his shadow, which was being delineated upon the wall. It was strange that within the outlined obscuration resided one of his friends. The initial odd perceptual feeling that Ash had gotten from his ghost type's emergence into his shadow had lessened dramatically—almost to the point where Ash sometimes forgot that Haunter was even there. From the outside, it was basically impossible to tell that something existed within his shadow. The shape of his shadow had remained the same. The only difference was the minute hint of dark purple that Sabrina had pointed out to him during breakfast.

Ash's rumination was precipitously interrupted by Austin's query.

"Are there any specific parts of the mission that you want us to report to Bill?" asked Austin in a serious manner.

"Only the bare minimum or if something goes wrong," retorted Wallace as he looked Austin in the eye. "We want to know when you arrive at the hideout and when your objective is complete. However, let us know if something is askew. Otherwise, we will just assume that everything went according to plan."

"Alrighty," answered Austin as he glanced over at Ash. "I don't have any more questions. What about you, Ash?"

"Nope," replied Ash while shaking his head. "I'm good. I think I've got a pretty good understanding of what's going on."

"What about you, Sabrina?" asked Wallace with a raised eyebrow. "Is there anything else you'd like to add?"

"Negative," retorted Sabrina with a blank expression. "I'm ready to go get Yin. It's best we don't waste any more time."

"Agreed," inserted Bill as he stood up out of his chair. "Meeting adjourned?"

"Meeting adjourned," reciprocated Wallace with a smile. "Now let's take care of business."

Ash leaned down and petted the tuft atop Growlithe's head before flashing him a smile. "You ready, buddy? It's time to find out just how tough we actually are."

Growlithe replied with a firm, dauntless grunt.

XXX

As Ash and Growlithe stood by the outer rim of the arena, there was a sudden, expansive light that illuminated the entirety of the Saffron Gym's main hall. When the bright light faded, a crowd of red was left in its wake. Ash stared ahead in awe of the display. Fifty plus men and women that wore the same fashionable, pristine, red uniforms were scattered amongst the gym's battlefield.

Although all of the ACE trainer trainees wore the same stylish outfit, they were all diverse in their individual appearances. There was a wide spectrum in terms of age. Some of the trainees were teenagers, while others were middle-aged. In terms of gender ratio, it appeared that there were more males than females. However, it wasn't a significant contrast.

Because of the fact that none of them visually displayed any kind of adverse physical reaction, Ash assumed that the trainees had been regularly exposed to teleportation as part of their training. Either that or they were all really good at hiding their displeasure...

Moreover, this was the first time that Ash had gotten a chance to see Yin. The female alakazam stood aloof amongst the crowd, holding her two spoons causally by her side. Back on the SS _Anne_, Ash had been impressed by the gaggle of kadabra that raised the psychic barrier for the single-elimination tournament. However, Sabrina's alakazam was even more impressive than all of them combined.

Yin stood about five-feet tall, and she was humanoid in body structure. The most notable physical feature on Yin was the long mustache that protruded out of both sides of her thin, protracted snout. He wasn't positive, but he thought he remembered hearing somewhere that the mustaches of female alakazam were significantly shorter than male alakazam. However, that bit of information was misleading because Yin's mustache was still substantial and immense in comparison to anything a human could grow.

Yin had two lanky, ear-like spikes that extended out of the back of her head. Ash couldn't spot any outer apertures amidst the two growths, so he was curious as to how alakazam actually perceived sound. Protecting certain sections of her yellow, skeletal body was a brown, armor-like integument that enshrouded her chest, shoulders, forearms, and knees. Yin had three digits on each of her extremities, and although her hands were devoid of claws, her feet had three sharp, white claws that protruded from her toes.

In addition, Yin clenched onto her two large, silver spoons like her life depended on them. Alakazam were well known for their fascination with metal spoons, which they used as amplifiers for their psychic power. It wasn't unheard of for powerful psychic pokemon to use some kind of conduit to help them focus their power. Alakazam used spoons, hypno used pendulums, starmie used a jewel, etc...Ash didn't know the specifics, but it was a common feature amongst psychics.

The fact that Yin was able to teleport so many people at one time was extraordinarily impressive. A mature alakazam was said to be easily capable of teleporting more than one person at a time, but this was simply astounding. She had teleported more than fifty trainers at once, and the female alakazam didn't look the least bit exhausted. Ash wondered just how much she truly was capable of, although it was kind of overwhelming to think about, especially when he factored in the idea that she wasn't even Sabrina's most powerful alakazam. Kaz could probably perform feats exponentially more profound.

Ash's intramural rumination was cut short by the sound of Sabrina's voice reverberating within his head. Sabrina's telepathy was much gentler on his mind compared to the ancient clefable back at Mt. Moon, which was his only other experience with the supernatural communication method. Sabrina's toneless voice was soft, but clear. It didn't grate against his psyche, like the clefable's telepathy had, and it didn't feel nearly as intrusive.

"_Salutations, ACE trainer candidates_," said Sabrina over her cerebral intercom as she stepped out in front of the crowd. Prior to Sabrina's greeting while the teleportation had taken place, Ash and Growlithe had been standing next to Sabrina, Austin, Bill and Wallace.

In response to Sabrina's telepathy, Ash watched the numerous ACE trainer trainees begin to speak amongst themselves, until one of them eventually stepped forward. He looked to be in his late teens, and he had long, black hair that was tied back into a pony tail. His face was sculpted and unlined, whereas his body was thin but athletic looking. The trainee's most distinguishable feature was his bright, yellow irises that were similar to that of a foreign luxray…

"He looks strong," whispered Austin to Ash as the yellow eyed man drew closer to Sabrina.

"How do you know?" asked Ash curiously.

"I'm not sure," replied Austin with a shrug. "I tend to have an affinity towards this kind of thing."

At the sight of the forthcoming trainee, Sabrina's eyes lit up with recognition. "Ah, Kent Barringer, it's been a long time. So, you've decided to become an ACE trainer. I have to say, I didn't see this in your future when you battled my gym eight years ago," murmured Sabrina. "Your mind is formidable. I would have to really exert myself if I wanted to breach your mental defenses."

"So, what they say is true?" questioned Kent Barringer in a gravelly voice. "You really don't forget anything, do you?"

"That is correct," replied Sabrina as she ran her fingers through her hair, "especially someone as strong as you. You were the only trainer to win the Marsh Badge that year."

"Oh, really…?" drawled Kent, "I was unaware. That battle was such a long time ago. My memory of that day isn't that great, however, I do remember you being significantly less hospitable."

Sabrina diverted her gaze towards the ground before answering. "Yes, in those days I was going through a lot. On account of my personal issues, I was particularly ruthless in the gym. Kaz and I didn't give trainers much of an opportunity back then. In fact, if my memory is correct, which it always is, I believe you are the only challenger, since I became gym leader, to defeat Kaz with one pokemon."

Kent Barringer moved a hand up to his chin as he seemingly racked his brain. "If by Kaz, you're referring to that monstrous alakazam of yours…then, yeah, I beat it with my umbreon."

Ash was having a tough time following the conversation. From what he understood, this Kent Barringer sounded like an unbelievable trainer. It came off like he was close in strength to Sabrina or at least was at one time. Ash could tell because of the fact that Sabrina talked to him with the same reverence that she did Wallace. Quite frankly, Kent Barringer seemed above the position of a trainee. Sabrina was treating him like he was something much more. But then again, what did Ash know?

"Sabrina didn't even use Kaz against me when we battled," inserted Austin. "There's something more to this guy. I don't believe for a second that he's just a trainee…"

"Neither do I," added the previously quiet Bill, "but then again, maybe it's just his bloody eyes. Those things are kind of ominous, don't you think?"

Both boys nodded before focusing back in on the conversation.

"Anyways," said Sabrina with a sudden shift in her countenance. "Before we initiate this mission, how about we sever the ruse? How exactly does this system work? You were originally here to oversee the examination, right? Don't think I don't know and don't lie. Lance isn't stupid enough to leave an ACE trainer examination, such as this one, unsupervised. So, my question is...how far up are you? I can sense your power. You're definitely the strongest trainer here by leaps and bounds. I would investigate your mind to find out, but that would take too much energy. I need to be at full-strength for the mission."

Ash watched as there was an array of gasps and whispers amongst the crowd of trainees. Apparently, Sabrina had struck their interest—which didn't come as a surprise. She had struck Ash's intrigue as well, and even more importantly she had procured Wallace's.

"Told you," said Austin with a wink. "I knew he was a big deal."

"So, I guess it wasn't just the eyes," said Bill with a shrug. "According to Sabrina, this guy's a total badass."

The dark-haired boy ignored Austin and Bill and watched Wallace casually stroll over to Sabrina and Kent. His disposition was curious, albeit stern. He carried the full-weight of his title in his demeanor.

"Sabrina, what are you implying?" asked Wallace with a raised eyebrow. "Who exactly is this young man?"

Sabrina turned to Kent while gesturing towards Wallace. "This is the Champion of Hoenn, Wallace Mikari. He is here to help. He bears the same title as Champion Lance. I suggest you properly introduce yourself."

Kent shook his head and chuckled under his breath. "I guess there's no point in keeping my cover anymore. So, the ACE trainer examination has turned into an actual mission, interesting. It seems you have a lot of questions, Sabrina. So do I? However, first things first, I need to address the trainees. You've made them aware of Team Rocket's plot. You've made me aware of Team Rocket's plot. They need to know just how much plans have changed."

"Very well," replied Sabrina, "go ahead."

Before the yellow eyed ACE trainer turned around to speak to the trainees, he held a hand out to Wallace, "Nice to meet you, Champion Wallace. Thank you for helping to protect Kanto. On behalf of the League, I truly cannot thank you enough. I will answer any questions you have momentarily."

"Nice to meet you, too," retorted Wallace with a smirk, "I look forward to working with you."

Kent nodded his head before casually turning to address the trainees. He cleared his throat, garnering their complete attention, before speaking out with a booming voice.

"I apologize for the deception, but I am not a trainee! All of you that I have fooled recently, I did so entirely on behalf of the League! When Sabrina planted Saffron City's present circumstances into our brains this morning, our agenda changed dramatically! Not just that, but your examination has been converted into a real mission! I hate that I have to throw you into the fire, but we have no other choice! Kanto's beloved Robert Montgomery has been kidnapped by the corrupt organization Team Rocket! We have to get him back!"

Ash leaned over and stroked the tuft atop Growlithe's fur as he listened to Kent Barringer's speech.

"The League sent me to oversee the examination and pose as one of you! It is how we evaluate, first hand, which of you are worthy of the rank: ACE Trainer! I am actually one of the few select ACE trainers that have reached the status of _first-class_! With my rank, I have the power to decide which of you are worthy of serving the League! Therefore, just because our plan for today has changed that doesn't mean that your examination has been cancelled! You will be evaluated based off of your performance today! We shall thwart Team Rocket's plan and avenge the memory of the SS _Anne_!"

In response to the declaration, the crowd of trainees went wild. Ash was surprised. He figured that they would be nervous due to the intense change of plans. However, they weren't. In fact, they barely needed a moment's notice to embrace the new goal. It was clear that they had been trained well.

"Jeez, he's an even bigger deal than I thought," said Austin with raised eyebrows. "First-class, that's got to be pretty good. The lowest ranked ACE trainer is formidable. He must be a real monster."

"Mhmm…" drawled Bill, "even though Silph Co. is typically guarded by more than one hundred ACE trainers, not a single one of them bears the rank first-class. They are the cream of the crop, the most powerful League officials outside of the Elite Four and the Champion. Some gym leaders are as strong as them, namely: Sabrina, Giovanni, and Koga. However, first-class ACE trainers refrain from the lime light. They are essentially the League's black-ops unit, elected to do all of the dirty work."

In response to Bill's explanation, Ash and Austin stared ahead utterly awe-inspired. According to Bill, Kent Barringer was one of the strongest trainers in Kanto and they couldn't wait to meet him…

"You are only to take orders from Gym Leader Sabrina, Champion Wallace, and myself from this point forward! Do not do anything unless we say so! We are Kanto's protection, and we're alone in this fight! We cannot call for reinforcements. Remember, we have been warned by Gym Leader Sabrina's projected vision from earlier! However, we will persevere regardless of today's circumstances because we have no other choice!" howled Kent.

The crowd of trainees erupted once again. Ash had to admit, although Kent didn't look it, he was quite the motivator. It was actually rather impressive. Ash's astonishment didn't stop there, though. The thing that inspired him the most was the behavior of Growlithe. In the past, the puppy pokemon would have been in a daze because of all of the people. But now, it seemed as though Growlithe was hardly affected by all of the strangers. Call it a product of hard work or a miracle of maturity. Whatever the case may be, Growlithe had almost completely squashed his phobia, which put a smile on Ash's face.

As the crowd of trainees continued to speak amongst themselves, Kent Barringer turned around to face Sabrina and Wallace. On account of all of the noise, Ash was unable to listen in on the conversation between the group of important people. Ash wasn't well educated on the weight of Kent's position, but now that he knew that the supposed trainee was a first-class ACE trainer, there was an air of mystique around him. He carried himself with the same presence as Wallace and Sabrina. Ash had a feeling that the ACE trainer was a master of battle in his own right.

"_Ash Ketchum, Austin Turner, Bill Montgomery come over here_," articulated Sabrina with telepathy. "_It is important for you to meet Kent Barringer_."

Both boys jumped up at the sudden mental intrusion before looking at each other quizzically.

"Let's go," said Austin with a nod, "I don't want to make Sabrina wait."

"Yup," replied Ash before diverting his gaze at Growlithe. "Come on, buddy, time to go."

Accompanied by a yawn, Growlithe stretched his hind muscles in antecedence to following Ash and Austin over to meet the first-class ACE trainer.

"Wait up for me!" implored Bill as he chased after the two energetic, young boys.

As they approached the group, Wallace was the first to acknowledge them. "Boys, Bill, meet Kent. He will be in charge of your team's mission. I have already informed him of your involvement and have made him aware of your skills. Bill, you are to program Kent's pokegear number into your pokegear before we begin the mission. He will be updating you on his team's activity. Ash and Austin no longer have to bear that responsibility."

"Alrighty," replied Bill as he held a hand out to Kent, "nice to meet you, Kent. I'm Bill Montgomery.

Kent politely shook Bill's hand before responding. "Hello, Mr. Montgomery. I've heard so many great things about you. It's nice to finally get the opportunity to meet face-to-face."

Bill bashfully scratched the back of his head. "Thank y—"

"Do any of those great things you've heard include his uncanny talent at cross dressing?" interrupted Sabrina with a deadpan expression.

Ash, Austin, and Wallace instantly burst into uncontrollable laughter, whereas Bill's face turned red due to embarrassment. Kent Barringer simply looked ahead in a confused manner as he tried to figure out the context behind the humorous jab.

"Screw you, you bloody witch!" howled Bill before sporadically clearing his throat and trying to change the subject. "So…Kent, I assume I can trust you to keep an eye my two friends here during today's mission."

Bill's attempt at diverting everyone's attention worked as Kent's yellow eyes instantly shot down to survey Ash and Austin. There was an intense moment of silence while Kent seemingly stared into their souls, however, the mood quickly lightened up when a massive grin formed across the ACE trainer's sculpted mug.

"No worries," retorted Kent. "Nothing will happen to them, I'll make sure of it. It's nice to see a couple of kids with guts."

The ACE trainer proceeded to shake both of the boys' hands in subsequence to one another. "The name's Kent Barringer. I look forward to working with you kids."

"I'm Austin Turner," replied the chiseled faced teenager. "Let's go kick Team Rocket's ass."

"Ash Ketchum," answered the ten-year-old boy. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Barringer."

Kent chuckled in response to Austin's arrogant comment before pivoting his eyes back and forth between Ash and Growlithe. "So, Ash, Sabrina's informed me that you will be working with the tracking specialists. She says your Growlithe has quite the olfactory sense. My arcanine will be leading the team, so you will be working directly with me throughout the tracking process."

Ash's eyebrows lifted as he processed Kent's words. "You have an arcanine?"

Growlithe's ears instantly perked up, and his tail started to wag precipitously, at the mention of his evolved form.

"Ah, yes, I remember your arcanine," said Sabrina, "it had recently evolved when you faced me. I recall that it was a unique specimen."

"A unique specimen?" queried Bill with curious eyes.

"Your memory is impeccable, Sabrina," replied Kent with a nod before addressing Bill. "I'll show him to you later, Mr. Montgomery. It's about time we get this mission started. What do you guys say?"

"I agree," replied Wallace.

"Affirmative," retorted Sabrina.

"I'm ready," crooned Austin.

"Growlithe and I are good to go," answered Ash.

"Alrighty," muttered Bill slightly peeved. "I guess it can wait."

"Okay then," said Kent with a smile. "Allow me to gather the rest of the tracking specialists and order the rest of the trainees to standby."

"Go ahead," replied Sabrina, "Ash Ketchum, Austin Turner, and I will be waiting for you right here. Champion Wallace, Bill Montgomery, I would appreciate it if you two would stick back and watch the remaining trainees. It is unnecessary for all of us to go down to see the Rocket. Your services would be better suited on ground-level."

"That's fine with me," replied the Champion, "I was planning on sticking back anyway."

"Don't tell me what to do, Sabrina," snorted Bill, "I'll stay behind...but only because I want to. After I get Kent's number, I'm going to set up mission headquarters in the guest room that I stayed in. I think I can hook my pokegear up to the computer in there, so it'll be a good place to standby for calls."

"Fine," said Sabrina, "As long as you stick behind, I don't care what your reasons are."

Bill responded by sticking out his tongue and pulling down his right eyelid like a child. Ash thought he heard the famous researcher mutter a curse word under his breath, but it was too quiet to know for sure.

"Well, then…" inserted Kent, "I will be back momentarily. When I return, we will pay this grunt a visit."

Everyone replied in their own way before they watched the first-class ACE trainer ambulate towards the trainees. As Kent addressed the conflux of ACE trainer candidates, Ash had only one thing on his mind: Team Rocket's demise.

XXX

"We're you aware of Kent's identity the whole time?" asked Austin in a curious manner as they made their way down the long, enclosed stairwell.

Sabrina stole a glance at the two boys by her side, prior to glancing back at Kent and the six trainees that were following a fair proximity behind them.

"I was aware of his strength," replied Sabrina with a blank expression, "however, I was completely unaware of his identity and League position."

"How come?" asked Ash with a raised eyebrow, "didn't you have to go inside of his mind in order to plant the thought about Team Rocket. Couldn't you have figured out his identity then?"

"Normally, yes," answered Sabrina with a sigh, "but he has defenses. He's been trained to withstand psychic incursions. The League makes sure that their top ACE trainers are nearly impenetrable, in terms of identity and knowledge, just in case they get captured. I'm probably one of the few human psychics that could break Kent's defenses; however, the amount of energy I would have to utilize would negatively affect today's mission."

"Do you have mental defenses?" asked Ash—interested.

"Sort of," articulated Sabrina, "I am a functioning psychic. I can easily recognize when someone, or something, is trying to enter my mind. My power is exponentially stronger than any other human and most psychic pokemon that might try to breach my psyche. They say the best defense is a good offense: I live by that concept. Typically, the only reason to acquire a mental defense is if you are a non-psychic. If you are psychic, there is no need to formulate a defense. Just being able to recognize cerebral intrusions is good enough for a powerful student of the mind."

"That makes sense," replied Austin as they continued to climb down the bland flight of stairs.

Ash had to admit, he was astonished by how deep into the ground the Saffron Gym's cellar was. He was expecting it to be like a typical basement—a mere fifteen to twenty feet below ground. However, that wasn't the case. They had been descending for a while now, and Ash assumed that they were at least seventy-five to a hundred feet below ground-level.

"How exactly do mental defenses work?" asked Ash.

"You boys sure ask a lot of questions," muttered Sabrina as she pulled up her sleeves. "However, I did too at your age. Curiosity is the trigger for knowledge. Knowledge is power and the key to becoming a good trainer."

Both boys nodded their heads as Sabrina continued.

"Essentially," said Sabrina, "just like with pokemon, there are two ways to acquire mental defenses. The traditional way is to internally train you mind. Through countless hours of meditation, most people can inwardly teach themselves how to access previously out of reach segments of their mind. The cerebrum is a deep and complex thing. Although it is a misconceived lie that humans are only capable of accessing ten-percent of our brain, it is true that most of us don't know how to utilize the most intriguing parts. It is difficult, but with mental fortitude, it is possible to uncover details about your psyche that you never would have dreamed of."

Sabrina paused as she cracked her knuckles.

"Using this traditional method, of looking deep within yourself, you can learn to put safeguards around areas of choice. The majority of Kanto's League officials focus on their hippocampus, which is the portion of your brain that processes and maintains memories. No human's mental firewall is impenetrable, but some are damn near close. Kent Barringer's wall is as vast and as tall as Mt. Silver. Wallace's is even bigger, but the Champion only protects specific information. The rest is as easy as reading a children's book.

"I see…" drawled Ash as he felt Growlithe brush up against his pant leg. "What about the other method?"

Sabrina shook her head. Ash thought he sensed a little bit of grief in the gym leader's disposition.

"The other method is external exposure. This method is better served for pokemon. I will be more thorough in regards to explaining external psychic exposure after the mission. For now, just let me make one thing clear. Even though some humans have had great success using this method, it is incredibly dangerous. Never try it. If things go wrong, the repercussions could be astronomical..."

Ash couldn't be positive, but he was pretty sure that Sabrina was speaking from experience. He would never ask, but maybe this explained why she was so emotionless. Maybe something had happened concerning external psychic exposure which obfuscated her emotions.

Their conversation came to an abrupt end when they finally reached the end of the descending stairwell. At the very bottom was a rather boring, wooden door. Sabrina waited for all of the trainees to disembark from the stairs before opening the door with the wave of her hand. It was highly apparent that she used some kind of telekinetic power, because the door knob turned without any anterior touch.

"I really could benefit from a psychic teacher," spoke Kent for the first time since embarking down the stairwell. "The most simple of things, such as opening doors, looks way more fun than doing them the old-fashioned way."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," inserted Austin with a smile. "I would give up my left nut to be able to open doors with my mind."

"I can arrange that," replied Sabrina with an emotionless expression.

Ash cringed at the thought, whereas Austin depicted an unpleasant frown.

"Err…it was just a figure of speech," mumbled Austin. "I'd rather not sacrifice my manhood for something like that."

Ash could hear a couple of chuckles coming from the trainees behind him as they passed through the doorway and into a room full of darkness. Before he had an opportunity to make a comment, regarding the lack of light, Ash heard a snap come from somewhere in front of him. In response to the snap, which sounded like it had come from the forced friction between somebody's fingers, the room was instantly illuminated. It only took a moment for Ash to realize that the snap had come from Sabrina. Apparently, the lights in the room were triggered by it. Either that or Sabrina was using yet another one of her psychic abilities for a rudimentary task.

"Follow me," said Sabrina as she gestured for the rest of the group to carry forward. "The Rocket grunt isn't far."

Ash took a split-second to look down at Growlithe, who glanced back up at him with affable eyes. The dark-haired boy always felt better about the unknown when he had the support of his best friend.

The first room in the Saffron Gym's cellar was peculiar to say the least. The walls were painted white, and there was no décor whatsoever. There was one lone couch sitting in the middle of the room, and there were a few oddly placed psychic pokemon scattered about. Ash would have wondered why the two psychic pokemon were previously loitering about in the dark, but then he remembered an interesting fact that he'd learned from Professor Oak. A lot of psychics were innately nocturnal; Over an unknown amount of time, their eyes had evolved to help them see in the dark.

In the far corner of the indigo tiled room sat a powerful looking hypno. It was presently using its ruff of white fur, which wrapped around its neck like a fluffy collar, to polish its marble based, circular pendulum. Its long nose quavered and its ears perked up as it acknowledged Sabrina with a nod. Sabrina casually waved back before diverting her attention towards the group.

"That hypno over there is one of my oldest friends," said Sabrina. "Her name is Rin. She is the same hypno that you defeated a few years ago, Austin Turner." Sabrina then pivoted her eyes towards Kent, "as well as the same hypno that you faced off against eight years ago, Kent Barringer."

"I thought I recognized her," replied Austin with a small smile.

"Ditto," added Kent with an expression of nostalgia.

"She likes to lounge around down here," answered Sabrina before pointing over to the kadabra that was meditating in the opposite corner of the room, "so does that kadabra over there. His name is Whiskers. He just recently evolved, so he's been spending a lot of time getting used to his newly enhanced intellect."

A thought popped into Ash's head. However, before he got the chance to articulate words for it, Sabrina gave him his answer.

"No, Ash Ketchum, Whiskers is not the kadabra that you will be battling when we have our match. However, I do hope that once the kadabra that is currently on my league registered team, Merlin, evolves; Whiskers will take his place as the kadabra on my registered team."

Ash simply nodded his head as they passed through the room and entered a short, narrow hallway. Just like the anterior room, the hallway's walls were devoid of decoration. Ironically enough, the cellar sort of felt like what Ash assumed a modern day psych ward to be like: colorless, quiet, and devoid of balanced emotions.

The abbreviate hallway briskly opened up into another similar looking room, albeit this one was much smaller. In the corner of the room was a quaint little lounging area. It consisted of a couch, a love seat, and a small, contemporary coffee table. Lying on the couch was a gorgeous espeon.

The psychic, evolved form of eevee was one of the most elegant pokemon Ash had ever seen. It was medial size compared to Growlithe, Ash thought that the espeon was probably slightly taller. However, the espeon looked to be a little bit skinnier than Growlithe, although that was to be expected. Most psychic pokemon were rather scrawny, since the majority of their training was cerebral.

Ash was sort of surprised that Growlithe, thus far, hadn't had any kind of reaction towards the psychic pokemon. Then again, Growlithe's aromatic awareness was powerful, so the pup probably knew of their presence long before Ash did.

"This is Espee," said Sabrina as she once again introduced the group to another one of her pokemon, "she is another one of my long-time friends. Espee likes to take naps down here. She enjoys the quiet…"

"Lucky…" drawled Austin with a hint of jealousy. "I want to take a nap."

"We just woke up," replied Ash as he and Growlithe passed over the misplaced, frizzy, purple rug that was rolled out in the middle of the room. "How could you possibly be tired?"

"I'm not," retorted Austin with a goofy smile, "I just like naps."

"Who doesn't," inserted one of the female trainees. She had short, black hair and a baby face. In spite of the fact that she was short in stature, her body was slim and fit.

"Too bad we don't get naps with our regiment," bemoaned a rough-looking, bald-headed, male trainee.

"_Psht_…we hardly get time to sleep at night, and you guys are talking about naps," scoffed another male trainee. This one was tall and lanky. Ash also noticed that he didn't have any eyebrows, which was very bizarre looking.

"Life gets better once you pass the exam," answered Kent, "outside of missions the regiment of a trainee is much more brutal. When you finally pass, your schedule will lighten up. Things like physical and mental fortitude training will stay the same, but almost everything else will lessen."

"Well, that's good to know," added another female trainee in a monotone voice. She was average in height, had long blonde hair, and didn't have much of a personality.

"Yeah…" drawled a tall, dark-skinned trainee as he nonchalantly cracked his knuckles, "I just can't wait to battle. The rest is all just fluff."

"Agreed," said a rather attractive, young female candidate. She looked to be in her late teens and was nearly flawless in appearance. Her hair was glossy. Her eyes were entrancing. And the teen's body was sculpted perfectly into an hour-glass figure. The only evident blemish was a thick, jagged scar that began at the base of her jaw and staggered all the way down her neck.

The amusing conversation, between trainees, came to an abrupt end as they passed through another short hallway and ended up standing in front of an extrinsic, steel door. The door had no handle, although situated where a handleset should be was a tablet sized, mechanical apparatus. The device on the door looked like a scanner of some sort.

Without a moment's hesitation, Sabrina proceeded to drag one of her thick, metal bracelets over the apparatus on the door. There was a momentary pause as they waited for something to happen; however, within a few seconds, there was a response. The screen on the tablet sized device illuminated a vibrant green before the entire door itself emitted a loud, grating sound.

There was a loud clonking sound accompanied by a high-pitched beep. It was put forth from the apparatus before the door slowly began to slide open. The thick, steel door gradually receded into the wall as the group of pokemon trainers looked ahead towards the new room that was being revealed.

Once the extrinsic door finally receded, Sabrina beckoned them to follow her through the doorway. On the other side of the door was a strange, small room: its purpose was revealed the moment that they entered. Straight across from the door was a compact, metal panel. There were all kinds of buttons and levers on top of it. It reminded Ash of the control panel that was located within the SS _Anne's_ wheelhouse. Ash wasn't quite sure what all of the buttons and levers exact purposes were, but he was more than certain that they had something to do with what was directly behind the panel.

The control panel was protruding out of a transparent wall that was made out of sturdy plexiglass. Inside of the bright, white room that the plexiglass was shielding off was a restrained, handcuffed man. The handcuff's strands were made out of solid metal material, just like a typical set of standard police handcuffs. However, the unique link that connected the strands appeared to be made out of some kind of laser. The bright, blue light constrained the handcuff strands tightly, giving the man little to no slack.

The Team Rocket grunt looked like he had been starved by Sabrina. His complexion was pale, and his body was grotesquely thin. He was wearing casual, but tattered, clothes. It made him appear as if he'd been stranded on an uncharted island for a couple of weeks. His hair was messy, and his eyes were disoriented. Ash was under the assumption that the plexiglass had been tampered with. Although they could see him, the ten-year-old boy was pretty sure that he couldn't see them. The grunt was staring straight at them without a hint of recognition in his depraved eyes.

"This is the grunt, eh?" questioned Kent with raised eyebrows. "Have you been torturing him, Sabrina? He looks awful."

"Other than when I sifted through his few remaining memories, I have done nothing to him," replied Sabrina, "he refuses to eat and will only drink the bare minimum amount of water to survive. He's been excruciatingly difficult. If I weren't a psychic, I'm afraid I probably wouldn't have been able to get anything out of him. The bastard has no regard for himself. His mind is twisted and fragmented. He's been brainwashed down to his core. Simply put, he is nothing but a nefarious shell."

"Is he responsive?" asked the tall, dark-skinned trainee.

"He is," replied Sabrina with a sigh. "This plexiglass is only transparent from our point of view. I had one of my mr. mime modify it. He can't see anything. It is also soundproof, which means that he has absolutely no awareness of our presence."

"So, are we going to go in there or not?" asked the beautiful, but scarred, brunette trainee in an edgy tone.

"Momentarily," retorted Sabrina as she gave the teenager's attitude no mind whatsoever. "First, I would like you to release your canines. The grunt will be less hostile if he knows of their presence from the beginning, albeit I would still expect some sort of physical outburst. His wrists are the only part of his body being presently restrained. I do not desire to be cruel, however, if I find it necessary, I will disable his entire body with my mind."

At the mention of the other canines, Growlithe's entire demeanor shifted. His eyes lit up, and his tail wagged energetically. In response to Growlithe's excitement, Ash bent over and ruffled up Growlithe's fur. He had never actually seen Growlithe amidst others of his breed, so the dark-haired boy was pretty excited.

On account of Sabrina's request, each of the trainees proceeded to simultaneously detach a pokeball from their trainer belts. Even Kent unclipped a pokeball from his belt, which Ash assumed belonged to his arcanine. There was a brief moment of silence, while everyone handled there canine's pokeball, in precedence to the accordant sound of a collective release.

In subsequence to a massive display of effulgent light, seven new canines stood in the congested room. Four of the newly released canines were growlithe. They instantly began the process of feeling out each other's pheromones before interacting together in a playful manner. The adorable, heartfelt scene didn't hold Ash's attention for too long, though, and it wasn't because it wasn't interesting, but rather on behalf of the fact that the sight of the three regal arcanine was that much more compelling.

It had been a long time since Ash had seen the evolved form of his best friend. The dark-haired boy hadn't set his eyes on an arcanine since the last time he had seen Professor Oak's monstrous specimen. Growlithe's mother was significantly larger than the two arcanine that belonged to the trainees. However, that didn't take away from the immense presence that the beasts had. Arcanine were a large species after all. Even the smallest specimen would completely tower over the ten-year-old boy.

The bigger of the two, average sized, arcanine belonged to the tall trainee with the dark-skin. He gently ran his fingers through his arcanine's long, off-white mane before smiling at the orange and black canine. "Good to see you, too, Samson. We've got an important task to complete. Are you up for a hunt?"

The evolved canine nodded his head before he grunted. The dark-skinned trainee's arcanine was extremely well-behaved, however, it had a hint of malice in its eyes. Ash could tell that it had a strong affinity towards battle.

The other, trainee owned, arcanine was a little bit shorter and a lot slimmer than the dark-skinned trainee's arcanine. On account of its physique, Ash assumed that it had just recently evolved. More than likely, it was a young female. Female mammalian pokemon tended to be smaller than their male counterparts. The female arcanine was also a lot more energetic than the other arcanine. Her eyes were constantly darting over to the playing growlithe, eager to join them.

The female arcanine belonged to the girl with the scar. She smiled at her canine before using her right hand to gesture for the canine to sit down. "I know you want to play, but now is not the time. We have work to do. I need your help."

The canine pokemon heeded her trainer's request, relaxing her eyes, before fastening them on her trainer.

"Good girl," crooned the brunette teenager as she soothingly scratched her overgrown pup underneath the muzzle.

All conversation came to an end when Kent's prodigious arcanine walked out into the middle of the room. Ash had obviously noticed it the second it was released, but all of the activity within the room had swayed his undivided attention. The dark-haired boy was convinced that all of the trainees must have already been introduced to the monstrous Arcanine; otherwise, everyone in the room would be utterly entranced.

The sight of the incredible canine was enough to render Growlithe completely still. The moment of its release, Growlithe had locked his eyes on the beast and never looked away. The puppy pokemon was captivated. He paid attention to nothing else in the room as Kent's canine approached him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ash noticed that Austin's eyes were cemented on the arcanine. The young teenager was clearly astonished: his slacked jaw and wide eyes made that rather obvious.

Sabrina looked as stony-faced as ever which didn't come as a surprise. She was Sabrina after all. Besides, the gym leader had mentioned earlier that she had faced off against the unique specimen a long time ago, and she didn't seem like the type of person that could be amazed by the same pokemon twice. No matter how astounding it was.

Kent's arcanine was, by far, the most mesmeric pokemon Ash had ever seen. He was a little bias toward the species, but the internal compliment was still saying quite a bit. The special arcanine was even more impressive than Professor Oak's Arcanine, which was hard to admit, given the fact that she was Growlithe's mom and a pokemon that Ash had known ever since he was a toddler.

Although it clearly wasn't a bearer of the king's nature, Kent's arcanine was a very large specimen. If Ash had to guess, he'd say that it probably stood two-feet taller than the other two arcanine. Pokemon continued to grow well past their final evolution; their age, health, strength and experience all factored into their size and power. It was highly possible for a fully-evolved specimen to grow significantly. However, the amount of time and energy it took to raise a pokemon of that level was considerable.

Its immense size wasn't what made it enamoring, though. It was impressive and definitely gave Ash an idea of how strong it was, but it wasn't what had caused the dark-haired boy to stare straight ahead, utterly enraptured. No. What blew Ash away was the arcanine's gorgeous color scheme. Kent's arcanine was born with one of the two distinct genetic mutations that Bill had spoken of back at his lighthouse. The arcanine was born with the same, rare, genetic difference as Wallace's wailord, Dreca, and the giant dragonite that he and Bill had become friends with.

Kent's arcanine was born different. The first-class ACE trainer's arcanine was, what pokemon researchers like to call, shiny.

The muscular canine's shaggy fur, on its head, muzzle, and chest, was off-white, which remained the same as a typical arcanine. The long tufts of off-white fur that grew out from behind its forelegs, and around its hind ankles, also remained the same. The major difference of Kent's arcanine, compared to a normal specimen, was that the part of its pelt that was typically orange had been traded for an aureolin yellow. Although the rest of its features were relatively the same, the lone color change in its pelt made the powerful arcanine look so much different. Arcanine were sometimes called the "legendary pokemon" because of their stoic nature, but Kent's arcanine, in a way, almost looked like an authentic Legendary.

For some reason, Growlithe's silent infatuation with Kent's arcanine was being requited. Ash found it peculiar that out of all of the canine pokemon in the room, especially the two arcanine, the unique beast had shown the most interest in his pup. Maybe it was because the arcanine was already familiar with the other canines, or maybe it was because Growlithe was entirely focused on him. Whatever the reason was, the alternate colored arcanine was slowly approaching Growlithe with a look of intrigue.

"It seems as though Arcanine has taken an interest in your Growlithe," said Kent to Ash as he casually folded his arms.

"I see that," muttered Ash in return. "Do you know why? I mean, it's not like he's the only growlithe here."

"My arcanine has always been intrigued by others of his kind that bear a vast amount of latent potential," replied Kent, "if Arcanine is interested in your Growlithe, I'd assume that you have one special pup."

Ash watched as Growlithe proceeded to sit on his haunches and allow Arcanine to explore his scent. At this point, even the other energetic growlithe had stopped what they were doing to watch the interaction. The two arcanine looked forward attentively, completely fascinated by the display.

"I'm confused," said Ash with a sigh. "Why are they all watching? They were all doing their own thing a moment ago."

"It's because Arcanine hasn't taken an interest in any of them before," retorted Kent. "You see, I posed as a trainee for more than a month. During that time, Arcanine never interacted with a single one of the trainee's canines. He's kind of weird that way. He may show a lot of interest in those that bear potential in his eyes, but the opposite is true for those that don't. If they don't live up to his standards, Arcanine barely acknowledges others of his species."

"Is he that way with other pokemon species?" asked Austin curiously.

"He isn't," retorted Kent with a sigh. "I don't know why either. I've been trying to figure it out for years…"

"Hey, yo, Kent," blurted the tall, dark-skinned man with the male arcanine. "Looks like your arcanine finally found one that he likes. I don't think he's ever even, so much as, glanced at my Samson here."

Ash listened to the conversation as he watched Kent's arcanine beckon Growlithe to play with him by lightly nudging him with his furry muzzle. Growlithe responded by leaning back on his posterior legs and using his paws to playfully swipe at arcanine's chest. For the first time, Ash thought he saw what resembled a smile on Arcanine's face as the large canine emitted a jovial yip. Ash had to admit, it was a heartfelt display. He hadn't seen Growlithe show such pure joy since before the SS _Anne_.

"Must be a special Growlithe, Tompkins," replied Kent as he spoke in the direction of his fellow arcanine trainer, "I'm not saying that Samson isn't, but you know how my arcanine is…"

"Yeah, he's a jerk," chided the girl with the scar, "Sheila's been trying to get his attention for more than a month now and nothing's worked."

"Well…I don't know what to tell you, Trish," replied Kent with a shrug. "Arcanine is how he is. He's never going to change the way he sees his kin, at least not by any of our persuasion."

In response to his last comment, Arcanine diverted his attention from Growlithe over to his trainer. He gazed at him with soft eyes before setting his attention back on Growlithe. The dark-haired boy wondered what exactly that look entailed. It appeared as if Arcanine was yearning for Kent's approval. What he wanted approval for, who knows?

"I understand that the puppies want time to get acquainted," interjected Sabrina in a loud, but monotone, voice. "However, it is not wise for us to waste anymore time. Team Rocket could move at any moment, and our plan relies on them staying put. My two mr. mime may have conjured an illusion, but that doesn't change the fact that Silph Co. headquarters is vulnerable. Let's go pick up this grunt's scent, so your canines can track down the hidden hideout."

There were a few wry faces, but for the most part everyone understood where Sabrina's sudden oration was coming from. Regardless of how great it was to see Growlithe having a good time with Kent's arcanine, now just wasn't the appropriate time. They needed to move as quickly as possible. And although it had only been a couple of minutes, they were wasting valuable time.

"I agree," replied Kent with a nod, "let's go in."

In subsequence to Kent's suggestion, the gaggle of trainees responded with a quiet, affirmative nod.

"Very well," answered Sabrina as she beckoned the group of pokemon trainers over to the thick, steel door situated to the side of the control panel.

As they made their way over to the door, Ash noticed that Austin appeared to be slightly hesitant. The dark-haired boy was curious as to what had caused such an expression to form across his friends mug, but his answer was soon given to him by means of Sabrina's articulate, robot-like voice.

"Austin Turner, you are here on account of your friend," spoke Sabrina as she dragged her thick bracelet over the door's external entry lock. "I do not feel comfortable separating you two. Fate wants you both to learn what lengths we must go to in order to protect what is important to us. You and Ash Ketchum are to learn together. Although I am unaware of the details, I have had visions of your importance to Kanto."

"It is necessary for you to take this time to learn how to protect each other. After today, your journeys will take you to different places. However, the two of you shall have a major influence on the next generation, and your paths shall cross plenty of times along the way. Just because you do not have a canine does not mean that your presence is not needed. Throughout today's mission, there will be things that you can do that young Ketchum cannot. That does not mean that his presence won't be needed. Lean on each other. That is what friends are for, am I correct?"

Austin hastily nodded his head before flashing a smile at Ash. "You hear that, dude. Even fate thinks we're gonna be a big deal."

Ash couldn't help but snicker, "That would be what you would take from all of that."

"Ah, I see…I was wondering why these kids came along with us," said the bald-headed trainer.

"Same," inserted the female trainee, with the baby face, as she leaned over and patted her growlithe on the head.

"So, you kids are special…why?" questioned the blonde haired woman with the distinct lack of personality.

"Did you really not pick up on any of that, Gretchen?" asked the trainee with no eyebrows, "Sabrina had a vision. Fate wants them here. You can't argue with that."

"So, you guys are like prodigies, eh?" questioned Trish as she pursed her lips. "When you get strong, I'd like a battle. What do you say?"

"Um…sure," drawled Ash, with an overwhelmed expression, as he eyed his loyal pup.

Growlithe sat next to him, confused, trying to follow the sporadic conversation.

"Give em a break, Trish," chided the dark-skinned trainer named Tompkins. "Besides, I'll be the one that gets the battle, right boys?"

Austin scratched the back of his head in a confused manner, while Ash was thinking of a way to divert the conversation.

"Enough talking," groaned Kent with a look of irritation, "can't you guys see that the doors unlocked. It's time to go in."

Everyone went silent in response to Kent's abrupt scolding. Sabrina peered at all of them for a split-second, depicting who knows what, before gesturing for them to follow her through the swung open door.

As they entered the room, Ash instantly shuddered in response to the grunt's precipitous outburst.

"Ariana! Ariana, is that you!? Ariana!" the grunt blustered with depraved eyes and a contorted face.

"How many times have I told you?" replied Sabrina, in a calm voice, while she approached the Rocket, "Executive Ariana isn't coming for you."

"You!?" hissed the grunt, "why do you continuously doubt Ariana's love for me!? She will come! She will come! She will come! She will come!"

Ash's stomach dropped in response to the grunt's evident insanity. His outcries of nonsense proved just how far gone he was. As intrusive thoughts of fear grated against the ten-year-old boy's psyche, Ash tried to squelch his rising anxiety. He had no such luck, until the boy suddenly felt Growlithe nuzzle up against his leg, offering his support, which sent a flood of comfort throughout his body. Ash looked down at Growlithe with thankful eyes before focusing his attention back on the deranged grunt.

"You don't even know who you are," replied Sabrina, "yet you put your faith in a single memory of someone else, why?"

"Ariana is all I know," mumbled the grunt as he shot his scornful gaze toward the ground. "She is my entire existence."

"Damn…" muttered Austin quietly to Ash, "this guy's freaking crazy."

"You can say that again," added Trish before glancing over at Kent. "Kent, should we just take the redolence from here, or should we have the canines get in closer?"

"We should get in closer," answered Kent, "we want the scent to be as strong as possible. The closer we can get...the better."

"Gotchya," replied Trish before turning her body to face Tompkins. "You hear that, Tompkins?"

"Affirmative," retorted the dark-skinned trainee before pivoting his line of sight towards Kent. "What do you say, Kent? Should we send the arcanine in first?"

"Yes," said Kent in a no nonsense tone of voice. "My arcanine will lead the group and instill fear. Have Samson and Sheila follow in behind him. The five growlithe will swoop in from the back. We want to make sure he doesn't lash out. I'd rather not have Arcanine have to draw blood until later today. This guy isn't an actual treat, so I'd rather not have to hurt him. It wouldn't sit well with my conscience."

"There's no need to go through all of this trouble," articulated Sabrina with vacant eyes, "on second thought, I'll just restrain him. We'll let the dogs do their job and get out."

Ash processed the formulating strategy while watching the grunt's peculiar behavior. The captured Rocket continuously spewed out the name Ariana as he viciously ground his teeth. Although the man was a Rocket, Ash couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He was nothing but a mindless fiend now, operating off of nothing but the memory of his twisted superior and his own corrupt soul.

"Go ahead and restrain him then, Sabrina," said Kent with a gesture of his hand. "We'll send the canines in once he's under your control."

Sabrina wasted no time. She raised an open hand, in the direction of the grunt, before lightly clenching her fist. In response to her movements, the Grunt's mouth instantly froze, and his body went stiff. A string of drool dribbled out of his mouth, and his eyelids stayed still like an untouched dead man.

"It has been done," informed Sabrina, "now hurry. It is time we move on to the next phase of the plan."

"Gotchya," replied the yellow eyed trainer as he casually pointed towards the grunt. "Arcanine, lead the way. Get in close and retrieve the scent."

Arcanine surprisingly looked down at Growlithe before gesturing the pup to follow closely behind him. Ash understood that the original plan was for the three arcanine to lead the way, but it appeared as though Arcanine had other plans. The two, trainee owned arcanine looked at Kent's canine quizzically, for a fraction of a second, before shaking it off and following closely behind. Trailing in behind Growlithe, and the three Arcanine, were the other four growlithe. The previously playful pups' disposition had changed. All four of them had a look of seriousness depicted across their face as they readied their minds for the upcoming task.

Ash watched as Arcanine and Growlithe severed the proximity between themselves and the Rocket. Once they deemed to each other that they were close enough, they leaned forward, leading with their snouts before drawing in a large breath. From their current positioning, the scent of the Rocket was strong. Ash assumed that neither had any complications because it only took them a few seconds to procure expressions of satisfaction. Once they were done, they peeled away from the Rocket and headed back in the direction of their trainers, allowing the rest of the canine's to follow suit.

It only took a couple of minutes for the rest of the growlithe and arcanine to pick up the scent. Once they were done, they returned to their respective trainer's side.

"The task is complete," spoke Kent with a smirk, "they've embedded the Rocket's scent into their aromatic almanacs. Arcanine is presently sorting through durational periods with his aromatic awareness. He should be locking onto the location of the hidden hideout rather quickly. Once he's finished, he'll help the others. By the time we ascend back up to ground-level, we will be ready to initiate the tracking phase."

"Understood," replied Sabrina as she released her psychic grip on the Rocket.

The grunt instantly began to leave off where he started, shouting Ariana's name like it was the only word he knew. It appeared as though whatever Sabrina had done to the grunt hadn't caused any evident side-effects. More than likely, she had put some kind of mental lock on his movements. The deranged grunt didn't seem to acknowledge that anything had happened to him, so Ash figured it was relatively painless.

"I've had enough of this place," said Trish as she pointed up toward the ceiling. "Let's go back up."

"Agreed," retorted Tompkins with fire in his eyes, "I'm ready to beat some Rocket ass!"

"Hell yeah!" blurted Austin with a devious expression. "Let's freaking go!"

The rest of the trainees agreed in their own way before Sabrina spoke up.

"Very well, it's nice to see some urgency. We have a big day ahead of us. It is time we decimate Team Rocket and rescue Robert."

"Absolutely," answered Kent with a thick grin before looking down at Ash and Austin. "What do you say kids? Are you ready to find out just how strong the League is?"

Both boys nodded with a hint of veneration in their eyes.

"You'll never win!" interrupted the disoriented grunt with insidious eyes. "You won't defeat the goddess Ariana! She will come for me! You'll see! And when she does, we'll kill all of you! And we won't stop there! We'll murder everyone that you've ever cared about especially this Robert that you're trying to rescue! Every! Last! One!"

Ash watched as Sabrina raised her hand from her side before precipitously pinching her thumb and index finger together. In response to the rapid movement, the grunt's lips closed shut, muting the evil that was coming out of his mouth.

"That's where you're wrong, trash," articulated Sabrina—void of emotion, "we will win. We will destroy Ariana. And we will make sure that the bitch pays for kidnapping Robert. I will see to it myself. Now, just rot away in this hole and get this through your thick skull, the last face you will be seeing is mine. When this is all over, I'll come down here and show you exactly how I decimated this 'so called' goddess of yours. Next time you see me, your Ariana will be in chains, fearfully dreading the day that she is put to death for the crimes that she has committed."

Out of the corner of Ash's eye, he noticed Austin staring at him with a look of bewilderment. If the dark-haired boy had to guess, he'd say that Austin was thinking the exact same thing that he himself was mulling over: this Sabrina was scary. The Sabrina that Ash had heard stories about growing up, the Sabrina that lashed out at Bill for making a joke about her emotions, and the Sabrina that had just threatened the delusional Rocket, they all painted a picture of what Sabrina could turn into if she ever lost control. It was a scary thought. Thank God she was on their side.

"Let's go, Sabrina," stammered Ash as he mustered up the courage to interrupt the gym leader's rant. "We're wasting time. Like you just said, we need to move before Team Rocket does."

"The boy's right," added Kent, "Sabrina, let's go."

The master of psychics turned around with eyes as cold as an articuno, "You're correct. It is time to take back Robert and destroy every last trace of Team Rocket in my city. I can no longer stomach the knowledge of their presence."

XXX

To their pleasant surprise, it only took the canines about an hour and a half to track down the hidden Team Rocket hideout. The location of the hideout came as somewhat of a surprise, although it only took a brief moment to dissect the logic behind it. The scent had led them to Saffron City's Magnet Train station, which operated as one of the few public commuting options to travel to and from the Johto region.

The magnet trains were, without a doubt, the most economically friendly way for the general public to travel between neighboring regions. It was much more cost friendly than buying a plane ticket or traveling aboard the SS _Aqua_. It was also well known as the most convenient option, linking two of the biggest cities in the world: Saffron City and Goldenrod City.

The highly efficient travel option had only been around for the last decade or so. Even though the technology needed to successfully create such a system of travel had been around for quite some time, the sheer amount of labor required to link the two regions took countless years to complete, especially in regard to finding viable pathways to navigate through Mt. Silver.

Two magnetically based guideways connected the Magnet Train station in Saffron with the station in Goldenrod City. One of the guideways existed above ground, functioning in a similar manner as an elevated monorail, while the other operated underground, resembling an old-fashioned subway system. The magnet trains worked using magnetic levitation to move without touching the ground, reducing friction and allowing the vehicle to perform at an incredible speed. During their trip over to the station, Kent had explained to Austin and him that both trains can travel up to 340 miles per hour.

Their trip over to the station had been interesting. Ash and Austin had gotten a chance to prod Kent with all kinds of questions, the majority of which regarded subjects such as the League, missions, pokemon, Team Rocket, and Kent's expectations for the forthcoming invasion. The ACE trainer was very open with them, sharing anything that wasn't classified as top-secret information

Ash had to say, he liked Kent. Besides the fact that the older trainer was powerful beyond measure, Ash could already tell that he was a genuinely good guy. He spoke to the boys as if they were equals and included them in on everything. He wasn't the kind of overzealous prick that abided strictly by the rules and saw them as a nagging nuisance. He was much like Wallace, in the way that he used their accompaniment as an opportunity to speak into the lives of the next generation.

Speaking of Wallace, the moment that they had reemerged from the Saffron Gym's cellar, Wallace and Sabrina had taken their small, twelve-person team and headed towards the Rocket's warehouse base. Both Sabrina and Wallace were antsy to save Robert, particularly Sabrina, who had been sent into an introspective rage on behalf of the captured grunt's abhorrent words.

Bill had already contacted Kent in order to inform him that Wallace and Sabrina's team was in preparation to strike. However, they were waiting on Kent to check in on his end. The plan required a simultaneous invasion by both teams. They couldn't risk a leak, from one base to the other, signifying that they were under attack. It would result in a complete forfeit of the element of surprise that they had worked so hard to attain.

The best news, in regards to the location of the hidden Rocket hideout, was that the Magnet Train station wasn't that far away from the warehouse hideout. Originally, they had figured that Team Rocket would try and further distribute their forces amongst the city. However, that wasn't the case. Team Rocket had elected to locate both of their hideouts within Saffron City's northwestern quadrant.

On account of the fact that the Magnet Train station was practically hugging Saffron City's border, it served as the perfect place to hide grunts without being spotted. It was far away from the heart of the city, where the majority of the population resided. In addition, it maintained hundreds of artificial maintenance tunnels that the League used to provide the trains with sustenance. It provided plenty of opportunistic underground locations to conquer and create a base of operations within a functioning part of the city.

All Team Rocket would have had to do is exterminate one of the magnet trains maintenance crews and operate their base of operations under the disguise of a work crew—similar to what they did aboard the SS _Anne_. Given the fact that Team Rocket had been dormant for more than five years, and the world had yet to hear about their second coming, they very easily could have been occupying and managing a division of the Magnet Train system for years while waiting for this one lone opportunity.

The fact that both hideouts were in the northwestern quadrant of the city could become essential if the plan were to go awry, namely, Wallace and Sabrina's objective. They had only allotted themselves with ten trainees, which could become problematic if Team Rocket had a lot of men stationed at the warehouse. Regardless of their individual prowess, numbers did factor into the outcome of pokemon related warfare.

No matter how strong Sabrina and Wallace were…it would be hard to lead a successful operation if the warehouse concealed more than the expected number of grunts. Ash doubted that Sabrina and Wallace would be in danger, however, Ariana could use her men as a distraction to escape with Robert. He definitely wouldn't put it passed her, especially after seeing the mental state of the captured grunt.

The topic of Wallace and Sabrina's mission had been one of the many things that the boys had talked to Kent about on their way over to the station. Even if it was only for a short while, they had touched on the idea of providing backup if deemed necessary. Kent was convinced that their half of the operation would resolve smoothly. The only thing he was worried about was Ariana. Kent was adamant about how critical her capture was.

If they could apprehend Ariana, the League could find out what Team Rocket has been up to the past five years. Kent hadn't exactly been specific, but it was obvious that after all these years, Team Rocket was still on the League's radar. Although they didn't suspect terrorist attacks as big as the SS _Anne_ and Silph Co., the first-class Ace trainer left many verbal hints that the League had been waiting for Team Rocket to make a move.

Despite the fact that the trip over to the Magnet Train station revolved around a vital hunt, and consisted of intense conversation, Ash and Growlithe were able to see a part of the city that they hadn't previously explored. The northern part of Saffron was very commercially inclined. There were a lot of busy shops and tall office buildings. The streets were flooded with people who were completely unaware of the forthcoming chaos.

One of the more notable buildings that Ash had noticed – almost immediately after exiting the Saffron Gym – was Saffron City's Fighting Dojo. Ash had heard a lot of the history behind the building before visiting Saffron, but Austin and Kent had decided to give him a lesson on its backstory anyway.

The Fighting Dojo had been around ever since the foundation of Saffron City and had served as the city's first official gym. The dojo was run by the Katsu clan, which was a family of martial artists that had trained and battled in the gym for over a century. Their current head of the family – also known as the Karate Master – was Kiyo Katsu. Kiyo was extremely famous within the world of martial arts, having acquired the majority of his region-wide fame as being the second best fighting-type specialist in the region—outside of Bruno of the Elite Four.

Ash knew he wanted to visit the Fighting Dojo at some point, however, he wasn't sure when. He had thought about attempting to take on Kiyo after the mission, but that likely wouldn't go over too well. Even though the Fighting Dojo had lost the battle to be recognized as Saffron City's official gym, that didn't mean that it was weak. As a matter of fact, the Fighting Dojo was probably stronger than more than half of the official gyms in Kanto. Howbeit, to the dojo's dismay, it resided in the same city as Sabrina's gym, which would always remain in control of Saffron as long as Sabrina was still breathing.

Other than the Fighting Dojo, Ash also enjoyed walking passed Saffron's local governmental buildings and pristine City Hall. They were extremely elaborate and embellished, giving off an unprecedented feeling of prestige. Ash wasn't all that into politics, especially as of late, but that didn't change the fact that the architecture was alluring.

Anyways, they presently stood outside of city limits in the brushwood with an observant eye on the Magnet Train station. Ash's group consisted of Kent, Austin, five other trainees whose names escaped Ash's memory, and himself. They had split up in attempt to stay unnoticed. Traveling in a group of fifty wasn't exactly inconspicuous. Instead, they decided to track the scent in seven different groups, with seven different tracking specialists leading each one.

Kent's arcanine's aromatic awareness was extraordinarily powerful, thus they had arrived at the site of the hideout before anyone else. Growlithe had followed the scent as well, although it wasn't necessary. For the most part, Growlithe's role was that of a student learning from an elder of his kind.

Upon arrival, Kent had immediately contacted the rest of the groups. They would be reconvening shortly. From his group's vantage point, they hadn't seen any suspicious movement outside of the station, just the typical travelers, entering and exiting in order to reach their designated destinations.

The Magnet Train station was enormous in terms of breadth. Its external perimeters covered a vast amount of space. Kent had informed them that the building inhabited more than two million square feet. Ash wasn't exactly sure what those measurements entailed, however that didn't matter. Just by eyeing it, Ash could comprehend its humongous size. In regards to overall space, it was probably the biggest building in the city—even exceeding Silph Co. headquarters.

Its design was very contemporary. Judging by appearance, it was obvious that it had been built within the last decade. Saffron City was a rather modern city to begin with, but the station was definitely the most modern of all of the architecture Ash had seen. It was built almost entirely out of fine alloys and glass window panes. The station's exterior was somewhat abstract in shape, giving off a distinct artistic vibe. Overall, its appearance didn't exactly appeal to Ash. He tended to appreciate more rural and old-fashioned architecture, probably on behalf of growing up in a small town like Pallet.

In response to Kent's update regarding their location, it took about five minutes for Trish's group to shuffle up to the meeting point, with her female arcanine leading the way. They must not have been too far in front of Tompkins because he filed in a few minutes later. Eventually, after about twenty minutes of accumulated standby time, all seven groups had conjoined into one fifty plus unit of trainers that were ready to bring the fight to Team Rocket.

"Alright," orated Kent in subsequence to clearing his throat, "now would be a good time to make sure that you have all of your pokemon close at hand. The infiltration phase is going to be hectic."

Kent proceeded to unclip a pokeball from his trainer belt before casually tossing it up and down. "Sabrina thought of a way to bypass a search of the building. To be honest, I'm a little reluctant to try it. But, we don't have much of a choice. Who knows how detailed Team Rocket's security of the building is. We can't just walk into the lobby with our canines and expect nobody to notice."

There was a collection of nods and grunts as everyone listened to Kent's words.

"So, Sabrina let me borrow Yin. Now that the grunt's scent has been confirmed to the Magnet Train station, there is no doubt in my mind that the hideout is somewhere underground. We can't risk being spotted traveling down to the maintenance tunnels, so we're just going to have to avoid that step all together. Instead, were going to have Yin teleport us in."

There was a collection of gasps as Ash, Austin, and the trainees processed Kent's words.

It didn't take long for Tompkins to speak up, "How are we going to do that, Kent? There are countless amounts of tunnels down there."

"Yeah...," added Austin, garnering annoyed looks from some of the less friendly trainees. Not everyone agreed with Ash and Austin's presence, "how's Yin going to know where to teleport?"

Kent smirked before giving an answer, "My arcanine is quite talented in regards to picking up the details of a scent. From this range, he can practically visualize the highest duration point of the grunt's scent, which just so happens to be the location of the hideout."

Kent proceeded to take his eyes off of the group before looking at his big, yellow arcanine for reassurance. "Right, Arcanine?"

Arcanine emitted an affirmative grunt as he nodded his massive head up and down.

"But, still…" interrupted Trish with a curious expression, "how are we going to get in? Unless—"

"Were going to have Yin take the location from Arcanine's mind and use it as a destination point for her teleportation. If we do it this way, not only will we avoid being spotted by any Rockets, but we will also be able to teleport in all at once. Best case scenario is that by the time Team Rocket can react, we'll have already decimated nearly half of their main force.

There was a collection of smiles and laughter while everyone internalized the ingeniousness of the plan. However, Ash felt slightly weary. He didn't exactly respond well to teleportation. He hoped that he'd be able to endure the nausea and disoriented vision, in order to fight and properly command his pokemon.

Almost immediately after his pessimistic thought, Ash felt an alien stir within his demeanor. His eyes instantly shot down to his shadow, which was the cause of the peculiar feeling. Suddenly, a two-dimensional image of his haunter appeared amongst the earth's surface. Haunter gave him a distinct look of support as the poltergeist tried to use his optimistic disposition to calm down Ash's thoughts.

Ash wasn't exactly sure of the details concerning the connection he and Haunter had while the ghost-type was dwelling within his shadow, but Ash could tell that it went beyond mere inhabitation. When the ghost-type concealed his presence, for long periods of time, it felt as if Haunter always provided him with a shell of protection. The ghost-type would fade in and out of Ash's conscious thoughts frequently, but there was always a deep rooted feeling that he was looking out for him.

The dark-haired boy didn't know if he would always let Haunter dwell within his shadow, but it was definitely something that he was going to repeat the next time he faced danger. His confidence had been boosted by the ghost-type's incorporeal form, and it didn't appear that anyone that wasn't previously informed of Haunter's existence was even slightly aware of his presence. The ghost-type quite possibly offered Ash the perfect invisible defense.

Ash's thoughts about Haunter were interrupted as Kent continued to take charge.

"Now, it's time to prepare for battle," said Kent with fiery eyes and a fierce intonation, "I will now release Yin. I have informed Bill that we're about to initiate the invasion, so there is nothing holding us back. Please handle your pokemon of choice. Prepare to release them the moment we are teleported."

The trainees responded with grunts of obedience. Ash glanced at Austin, who was detaching a pokeball from his belt, before looking down at Growlithe in search of his best friend's support.

"You ready, buddy?" asked Ash in an antsy tone.

The puppy pokemon looked up at him with assertive eyes. Ash could tell that his friend was prepared for the upcoming events. Although Ash was originally worried that the horrific events aboard the SS _Anne _would debilitate Growlithe, they had actually had the opposite effect. Growlithe had always been a focused pokemon, but as of late, his level of focus had increased to extremely high levels. The puppy pokemon no longer acted like a youngling. Even in comparison to the other trainees' growlithe, Ash's best friend was much more mature and ready to take on whatever the world threw at him.

After interacting with Growlithe, Ash looked down at his thick, murky shadow. "Haunter, we're about to be teleported into hostile territory. I need your protection."

In response to Ash's request, the dark-haired boy heard a cacophonous array of ghoulish laughter being emanated from the earth's surface. Ash knew it was Haunter reassuring him that he had his back, but the trainees that heard the guffaw didn't. They looked at Ash with confused expressions, wondering what could possibly have made such a discordant noise.

The looks of confusion suddenly ceased, though, when a bright light erupted from the pokeball that Kent had been handling. Left in the coruscating light's wake was one of Sabrina's alakazam: Yin. For a brief moment, she stood aloof in front of them before looking at Kent with inquisitive eyes.

"Hello, Yin," said Kent, "Sabrina filled you in on the objective, right?"

Yin stared at Kent momentarily, more than likely speaking to him telepathically.

"I understand," said Kent before directing his gaze towards his arcanine. "Arcanine, you need to let down your mental defenses in order for Yin to get a perfect read."

Ash assumed that Yin must be talking to Kent through telekinesis, either that, or Kent was just really good at reading psychic pokemon's dispositions. More than likely, it was the former rather than the latter. Alakazam didn't typically portray any kind of readable countenance. Just like Sabrina, their dispositions were usually barren and void of emotions.

Arcanine gave Kent an acquiescent nod, letting the alakazam retrieve the necessary information from his mind in order to make the jump. After a few seconds, Yin was crossing her spoons in preparation to teleport. In subsequence to Yin's movements, Kent spoke out once again.

"Last warning to prepare for battle!" Kent blustered.

Ash watched Austin, Kent, and the trainees firmly grasp the pokeballs in their hands while he himself reached for Squirtle and Ivysaur's pokeballs. His heart pounded, and his palms sweat as he anticipated the forthcoming moments.

"Ash," muttered Austin with a no-nonsense look depicted across his face, "as soon as we're in the hideout, I'm going to release Golduck. Stick close. I want to make sure that both of us battle from within Golduck's barrier."

The dark-haired boy had just enough time to respond with a nod before being distracted by the sound of Kent's booming voice.

"Yin, do it now!"

The next few seconds of Ash's life were spent in a crepuscular sequester before his vision readjusted to reveal someplace new. There was a cursory lag as everyone came to grips with their current circumstances. They rematerialized together, in the same physical position that they previously stood, only to find themselves surrounded by an utterly bewildered crowd of disgruntled people.

They looked to be preparing for something. The hundreds of palpable Team Rocket members were at various stages of getting ready. Some were putting on their black jumpsuits; others were loading their trainer belts. Ash saw multiple, assumed to be, Rockets dressed in white work-crew clothes which proved his theory that Team Rocket had been posing as part of the Magnet Train's maintenance crew.

There was a moment of peace as Team Rocket desperately tried to process their appearance, which was much needed on account of the after-effects of Yin's large-scale teleportation. Until, all of a sudden, there was a loud outcry that was put forth by one of the many grunts.

_"Shit, it's the League!"_

Simultaneously, within the blink of an eye, Ash, Austin, Kent and all of the trainees released whatever pokemon they had been previously handling in their pokeballs. There was an immense array of effulgent, white light as a multitude of pokemon exited their personal capture devices.

Appearing directly in front of Ash were Squirtle and Ivysaur. Both elemental starters peered forward as they tried to come to grips with their current whereabouts. Instantly, upon recognition of the frantic Rockets, Ash's two newly released pokemon looked back at their trainer with knowing eyes before entering a defensive stance. In immediate subsequence, Growlithe stepped forward in order to stand beside his two teammates. The pup emitted a series of barks and grunts, clearly trying to fill his peers in on their present circumstances.

To Ash's left, Austin's golduck and a large, bulky nidoking had materialized. The dark-haired boy felt a sudden surge of relief as Golduck immediately tapped the red jewel that was embedded into his forehead, causing a shimmering, purple-tinted light to surge out of nowhere and safely envelope them.

Nidoking instantly shot his gaze down at Austin, desiring clarity. The chiseled faced teenager looked up at his fully-evolved poison barbed friend with an adamant expression.

"Knock out anybody that's wearing black!" bellowed Austin with an underhanded smile on his face, "smash any pokemon that gets in your way!"

Over Austin's blustering exclamation, Ash was able to hear the sound of numerous other trainers giving their pokemon orders. One of which was Kent, who was to his right. By the time Ash had swiveled his head around to look, Arcanine had already taken off with what the ten-year-old boy assumed to be Extreme Speed.

Extreme Speed was an incredibly formidable technique that allowed a pokemon to reach speeds even greater than what Agility had to offer. It was one of the few attacks that a well-trained arcanine could learn after being exposed to a fire stone. Ash had never actually seen the move in person before now. But, judging by the way it nearly forced Ash's hat off of his head, due to the aftermath, the dark-haired boy knew that Kent's arcanine was a master of it.

Ash could hear the panicked screams of Team Rocket grunts as Arcanine powered through their forces. At this point, some Rockets had managed to release pokemon, but so far Ash hadn't noticed anything arduous: just some ekans and zubat, heedlessly trying to protect their evil trainers.

The dark-haired boy quickly diverted his attention back to his pokemon as he tried his best to focus on what was in front of him. "Squirtle, Ivysaur, Growlithe listen up! I need you to knock out as many Rockets as possible! They should all be wearing either black or white! Use whatever means necessary, in regards to their pokemon; just don't kill them! Haunter is protecting me, so I'll be fine! I'll give you commands when I can, but don't expect too much. Right now, I just need your strength! I'll be releasing the others as well! So, try and help each other out whenever you can!"

Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Growlithe emitted low, acquiescent grunts before exploding out of their individual stances. All three took off at different angles as they zeroed in on their selected targets. While he watched Ivysaur close in on one of the grunts, Ash watched Austin's nidoking engage the enemy in the same general area. The fully-evolved poison-type was a monster, using his fists to ruthlessly swat several zubat out of air like they were nothing but a nuisance.

Next, the ten-year-old boy quickly diverted his line of sight to Squirtle, who was already mercilessly using Rapid Spin to knock out a couple of misfortunate grunts. Ash had to admit, he was pretty impressed by how fast his friend had gotten the hang of the new technique. Even though Ash's turtle pokemon had more of an affinity for close-ranged battle than others of his breed, it was still rather awe-inspiring.

Ash noticed that Growlithe had been bombarded by a wall of rattata and raticate as the pup neared the mass of Rockets. Ash caught a glimpse of Ivysaur debating with his eyes to double back, in order to provide Growlithe with support. The seed pokemon decided it wasn't necessary when a trainee's long-legged hitmonlee and another trainee's muscular machop came barreling forward in order to help manhandle the brigade of rodents. It took the advantage bearing fighting-types only a couple of minutes to incapacitate the normal-types. However, they were soon caught in a bind as a trio of drowzee fumbled onto the scene out of seemingly nowhere.

The three yellow and brown furred psychic pokemon used their powers to disable the hitmonlee and machop. Their stubby trunks quavered, and their eyes glowed blue, as they forced the two fighting-types to the ground. Ash was just about to open his mouth – in order to send out Haunter – when a black, horned canine, Ash recognized as a Johto native houndoom, used a series of techniques that consisted of the dark element to make quick work of the drowzee.

It was after this short-lived exchange that Kent gave his first command since entering the hideout. "Release the dark-types! Incapacitate all psychic pokemon! They're our number one threat!"

In immediate subsequence to Kent's orders, there was another accordant outburst of pokeball releases; one of which happened right next to Ash, when Kent released an ominous looking umbreon.

"Umbreon, take out as many psychics as you can," said Kent in a quiet, but stern, voice. "I'm counting on you."

Ash watched as the jet black eevee evolution stretched both of its muscular legs before taking off in a black blur. For the first time, Ash noticed the surplus of psychic-types clustered up together behind him. It was apparent that they had been working on some type of psychic protective barrier, because they instantly dropped their guard the second that they noticed the gaggle of dark-types charging towards them.

Within the squadron of Rocket controlled psychics, Ash saw multiple drowzee and exeggutor. He thought he spotted an outlandish jynx, or two, amidst the skirmish, but he couldn't take the time to find out. His part of the mission had nothing to do with the psychics. His pokemon didn't have any mental barriers, so he had no way to defend against them. He had to leave the psychics to Kent's umbreon and the other trainees' dark-types. For now, he needed to focus on his pokemon.

Ash swiveled his head and instantly tried to track down Ivysaur. It didn't take him long to spot his grass-type, who was currently engaged in combat with a rather baneful looking golbat. The golbat's small eyes never ceased to remain planted on Ivysaur, and it continuously emitted a vehement hiss out of its oversized mouth.

The golbat was the first formidable Rocket pokemon that Ash had seen throughout the beginning of the fight. He would be worried, but Ivysaur had a good matchup. The grass-type had the type advantage and seemed to be holding his' own. Anytime the golbat tried to get in close, Ivysaur would fight it off with his Vine Whip. And whenever the golbat tried to hit him with long-ranged attacks, such as Sludge Bomb or Supersonic, Ivysaur was quick enough to dodge. It would probably be a tough battle, but as long as nobody interfered, his grass-type would be just fine.

After using his eyes to check up on Ivysaur, Ash desperately tried to hunt down Squirtle's whereabouts. Over by a plethora of unconscious Rocket bodies, Squirtle was presently fending off two ekans. Both of the purple snake pokemon were trying to viciously strike at Squirtle with their fangs, however, anytime they lashed out, Squirtle either effortlessly dodged or withdrew into his shell. It was rather obvious that Squirtle would eventually come out as the victor.

Now that the rattata and raticate had been taken care of, Growlithe was currently battling by Austin's nidoking's side. Nidoking was taking on another golbat nearly identical to the one Ivysaur was facing off against. Whereas Growlithe was using Ember to shoot as many zubat out of the air as possible. They were also getting help by some trainee's poliwhirl, who's Water Gun rivaled Squirtle's in terms of accuracy. One by one the zubat fell to their demise as they were shot out of the air by an enfilade of fire and water.

All of a sudden, amidst the sea of Rockets, three more golbat were released into the dark, underground enclosure. Ash instantly reached for Pidgeotto's pokeball as his eyes shot over to Austin.

"Do you see those golbat?!" shouted Ash, trying to be heard over the cacophony of chaos.

"Yeah, I do!" Austin blustered as he waved a pokeball in front of Ash's face, "let's find out if Pidgeotto and Fearow can work together!"

"Gotchya!" howled Ash with a nod.

The dark-haired boy proceeded to face the direction that the golbat had been released. The egregious creatures hissed and shrieked as they flew towards the group of trainees. Ash wasted no time. He quickly pressed the release button on Pidgeotto's pokeball, releasing him on the ground right next to his side.

Pidgeotto's eyes instantly shifted in the direction of Austin, who had just released his overpowered fearow. Ash's avian immediately puffed up his chest and disembogued a nefarious squawk. It was blatantly obvious that Pidgeotto was debating whether or not to lash out. His disdain for Fearow hadn't lessened since the last time they saw each other.

"Now's not the time!" scolded Ash as he pointed forward towards the forthcoming golbat trio. "We're up against Team Rocket! You can settle your feud with Fearow another day! Right now, I need your help! Take out those golbat! When you're done, help the others and knockout any humans wearing black! Also, I won't be able to give you frequent orders, so act as you see fit! Can you handle that!?"

Pidgeotto's eyes shot forward as he seemingly searched for his teammates. Ash watched his flying-type's line of sight pivot between Growlithe, Ivysaur, and Squirtle before the disgruntled flying-type made a decision. He shot his eyes back at Fearow, who emitted a malicious chortle that reminded Ash of the flock of spearow he had escaped from at the beginning of his journey. There was a brief moment of tension, as the two birds of prey glared at each other, before they both abruptly burst into the air with only a few vicious thrusts of their wings.

In a matter of seconds, Pidgeotto and Fearow had collided with the three golbat. Pidgeotto initiated the action with a coercive Quick Attack. Ash could hear the collision from his present position as his avian knocked golbat down to the ground with a turbulent strike. Simultaneously, Fearow used a skillful combination of Agility and Aerial Ace to quickly dismantle another one of the golbat.

"We've gotta keep a close eye on them!" bellowed Austin. "They could be at each other's throats in a matter of seconds!"

"Agreed!" howled Ash in attempt to be heard. "I think they're good for now, though!"

Austin nodded his head in agreement before reaching for one of the remaining three pokeballs that were attached to his belt.

Now that the trio of golbat had been accounted for, Ash brought his line of sight back down to ground-level. It appeared as if everyone was doing just fine. Ivysaur was still engaged in battle with the same menacing golbat, although it appeared as if his grass-type would be coming out on top relatively soon. The golbat looked exhausted and beat up, whereas Ivysaur appeared to be as good as new.

Growlithe, and the poliwhirl that he had been battling beside, were finished shooting down the zubat and were now facing off against a duo of crazed meowth. The malicious felines repetitively lashed out with their claws and fangs, in attempt to catch Growlithe and Poliwhirl with either Fury Swipes or Bite. A small smile creeped across Ash's face as he watched Growlithe respond by turbulently barreling into one of the meowth with his Flame Wheel. The feline hissed as it was immediately knocked out. After Growlithe had finished his meowth off, in order to provide support, he diverted his attention towards the meowth that the poliwhirl was taking care of.

Not far from where Growlithe and the poliwhirl were taking on the meowth, Austin's nidoking was in an intense battle with some Rocket's golem. The hardy, spherical rock-type was actually a rather impressive specimen, switching between various physical ground and rock-type moves that Ash didn't recognize.

The dark-haired boy didn't have all that much knowledge on golem's typing. He didn't have a rock or ground-type of his own, so the majority of his knowledge was from his prerequisite studies with Professor Oak. Either way, regardless of the golem's skill, Nidoking was in control. Right before Ash shifted his attention, Austin's nidoking had buried his horn into the golem's hard exterior with a devastating Horn Drill. Judging by the screeching golem and the battered, unconscious golbat that was lying close by, it was rather apparent that Nidoking was one of Austin's strongest pokemon.

Over by where Ash had last seen Squirtle was Kent's monstrous arcanine. The beast was wasting no time with the grunts' lightweight pokemon, completely bypassing them in order to take out the real threats: the grunts themselves. Left in Arcanine's wake was a surplus of unconscious bodies. The fully-evolved Arcanine ripped through the Rockets' shoddy defenses as easy as a machamp rips apart tissue paper.

While Ash was following Arcanine's movements, he coincidentally caught sight of the tail end of Squirtle's battle with the two ekans. One of the snake pokemon had already been thrown into the corner of the underpass; it was dripping wet and deep into involuntary comatose. The other ekans was currently being pelted by an array of chemically induced bubbles. Without a fraction of an expression on his face, Squirtle used the barrage of bubbles to knock the ekans out before using his short stubby arms to dispose of the reptilian pokemon in the same corner as its partner.

In the thick of all of the chaos, Ash's attention was suddenly grabbed by the sound of two new pokeball releases on both sides of him. To Ash's left, Austin had released his intimidating marowak. The fully-evolved, skull wearing, ground-type hoisted its oversized bone over its shoulder – like it was nothing – as it scanned its surroundings.

"Go knock out as many Rockets as you can!" commanded Austin.

Marowak used both of its hands to get a firm grasp on its bone before charging forward with ill-intent in its eyes. The dark-haired boy had seen enough of Austin's marowak, throughout the SS _Anne_ tournament to know that it was an absolute beast when it came to close combat battle. Now that it had been released from its pokeball, Ash was sure of one thing: a lot of Rocket's would be waking up from unconsciousness with excruciatingly brutal concussions.

To Ash's right, Kent had released a black, pearl-like pokemon known as cloyster. Ash had never seen a cloyster in person before, so he was instantly intrigued. Its main body was encased by a light gray shell, which was surrounded by a second jagged, blue-violet outer shell casing. Cloyster had several conical horns that came out of its outer shell, and it had a long, barb-like spike that protruded out of the top of its head. However, despite all of the protection, Cloyster's most distinguishable feature was its blatantly mischievous expression and fierce angled eyes that appeared amidst its pitch-black, interior mug.

"Stay here and watch the boys!" ordered Kent as he gestured over to Ash and Austin. "I'm going out there! Also, if you can, try and cover me! Use Ice Beam on anything that comes after Electivire and I!"

As it gave its trainer an acquiescent look, Cloyster disembogued a peculiar noise that was somewhere on the spectrum between a whinny, gargle, and snort.

After addressing his cloyster, Kent proceeded to shoot his gaze back toward Austin and Ash. "Listen! You boys should stay back here! Command your pokemon from the main group and stay safe! Keep an eye on all of your pokemon as well! Rocket pokemon have been known for their demented ferocity! They will not hesitate to kill! Once one of your pokemon is on the cusp of unconsciousness, return them! Do not risk what is unnecessary! We are already in control of this battle!"

"Whatever you say, boss!" retorted Austin with a goofy grin.

"Gotchya," replied Ash with a nod.

"I'll be right back!" Kent blustered, "I'm just going to go tip the scale a little more!"

Kent's yellow eyes gleamed before he took off straight ahead in a canter. His dominant right hand was at his waist as he used his stellar hand-eye coordination to detach a great ball from his belt. Ash cringed as a trio of ekans shot high-velocity Poison Stings at Kent. The Ace Trainer, as smooth as a ninetails, avoided the barrage before pressing the release button on the great ball that was within his grasp.

There was a quick ray of white light before a massive, yellow and black furred monster was instantly sprinting alongside him. The beast needed no warning, whatsoever, as it precipitously pounded its fists together in antecedence to throwing a gargantuan lance of electricity at the ekans. There was an abrupt explosion as the unidentified technique collided with the ekans. When the explosion fizzled out, three charred and unconscious reptiles lay convulsing in the middle of the battlefield.

"Damn, did you see that, Ash!?" bellowed Austin with wide-eyes. "What the hell was that!?"

"No idea!" blustered Ash while keeping his eyes fastened on the action, "It must have been some kind of self-invented move, because I've never seen anything like it!"

Ash was unable to hear Austin's reply as he watched Electivire enshroud itself within a coat of electricity. It proceeded to use its fists to Thunder Punch two heedlessly aggressive raticate – that were trying to slow the electric-type down – prior to barreling into the crowd of Rockets, with his trainer close behind him. Ash felt a rapid wave of anxiety as Kent was almost hit by a flanking rattata's tackle; but within the blink of an eye, it was shot out of the air – mid jump – by a piercing beam of ice. It took a moment, but when the dark-haired boy felt a brief surge of frigidness, he eventually realized that the Ice Beam had come from Cloyster's barb-like spike. The water/ice-type had an impish expression on its face as it continuously hit any pokemon that got too close to Kent.

Ash watched in awe as the bipedal electric-type discharged its coat of electricity into the crowd of Rockets. There was a collection of high-pitched squeals while roughly fifteen Rockets and some of their pokemon dropped to the floor temporarily paralyzed. Ash recognized the technique Electivire used as Discharge: an electric based move that he had studied back when he was getting ready to face Lt. Surge.

Even though Electivire had just taken out a significant number of Rockets, and many more had already been incapacitated, it was rather blatant that they had barely put a dent into Team Rocket's underground forces. When devising the plan, they had definitely underestimated how many grunts would be down here. In regard to their half of the mission, it didn't necessarily matter. They had the advantage, so far, and were winning. However, he couldn't say the same thing in reference to Wallace and Sabrina. Hopefully, the warehouse base didn't house more grunts than expected; otherwise, the operations success would be in jeopardy.

After watching Kent and Electivire disable a few more Rockets with a potent Thunder Wave, Ash did a brief scan of his four battling pokemon. Going off of the fact that Ivysaur was now thrashing at a duo of raticate with his Vine Whip, Ash figured that he had soundly defeated the golbat from earlier. Ash had to admit, he was incredibly impressed by Ivysaur's newfound strength. Prior to evolution, Ash didn't think that his grass-type could have defeated the Rocket golbat and if he did, he wouldn't have had any fight left in him afterward. Evolution had given the saurian a significant boost in strength. Ash couldn't wait to find out what Ivysaur would be capable of with a little more training under his belt.

In subsequence to watching Ivysaur finish off one of the Raticate with Sleep Powder and the other with a violent Vine Whip/Take Down combination, Ash caught site of Pidgeotto's aerial battle. On account of the action pertaining to Kent and Electivire, Ash had missed out on the majority of the carnage that Pidgeotto and Fearow had wrought. However, there was a massive pile of unconscious golbat and zubat in the same general area as Pidgeotto and Fearow and Ash didn't see any other powerful pokemon within a close proximity, so he figured that the pile consisted of the two avians' victims.

Presently, Pidgeotto was using his Feather Dance to weaken an average looking machoke's powerful punches, while Fearow was involved in an aerial battle with a smaller member of its species. Pidgeotto was the stronger specimen and had the type advantage against machoke, so Ash figured he would win rather easily. Fearow's match didn't seem like it would be a tight one either. Just by eying the other fearow, Ash could tell that his Pidgeotto was stronger. And Austin's Fearow had easily handled Pidgeotto back on the SS _Anne_, so the Rocket fearow would probably be a cinch.

Meanwhile, Growlithe and the trainee's poliwhirl had defeated the two meowth before splitting up. Now, Growlithe had reunited with Austin's nidoking as they took on an angry vileplume. The large, floral pokemon's main target appeared to be Nidoking. It continuously tried to douse Nidoking with all kinds of status powders; however, the poison-type wasn't having any of it.

The barbed beast disregarded the multiple attempts that vileplume made at inflicting a status condition before driving his fists into the top of the grass-type's head. Vileplume was simultaneously hit in the side by Growlithe's Flame Wheel which caused the outlandish flower pokemon to shriek in pain. Howbeit, despite the powerful combination, the vileplume remained standing, ready to fight until it ran out of strength.

"Growlithe, hit it with an Ember barrage and then follow it up with Flame Wheel!" howled Ash at the top of his lungs.

Somehow, amidst the ruckus, Growlithe heard Ash's command. The orange and black pup dug deep into his internal furnace before putting forth an enfilade of powerful flames. They shot through the air at an incredible speed, not giving the vileplume, who was focused on Nidoking, enough time to dodge.

Vileplume emitted an ear-shattering shriek, in response to the impact of the Ember barrage, as Growlithe enveloped his entire body in a wheel of fire. As expected, the grass-type shifted its attention toward Growlithe after the barrage of fire had weakened it even more. Although the vileplume was aware of the pup's impending approach, all that the exhausted flower pokemon could manage was a weak attempt at a Mega Drain attack.

Growlithe tore through the grass-type technique, like a knife cuts through butter, before colliding with the vileplume head-on. Simultaneously, Nidoking mercilessly stabbed the vileplume in the back with the horn on its head. The horn was emanating a bright, yellowish green, which gave Ash the impression that Nidoking was using Megahorn: a highly advanced bug-type move that causes an immense amount of damage to those that are at a disadvantage to the technique's typing.

Vileplume didn't even make a sound as it instantaneously crumbled to the floor. The combination of Flame Wheel and Megahorn had knocked the poor creature into a coma. It was rather apparent that Vileplume had been severely injured. Ash hoped it wasn't too bad, though. Regardless of the vileplume's affiliation with Team Rocket, it was still a pokemon. Few pokemon were inherently evil, especially in regards to the oddish line. Ash knew that it was more than likely Team Rocket's fault that the specimen was so corrupt. Who knows, with the League's help, maybe some of Team Rocket's pokemon could be rehabilitated to garner their natural personalities?

Now that the vileplume had been taken care of, Ash took his eyes off of Growlithe and looked for Squirtle. Throughout the process, he noticed that Kent and several of the other ACE trainer trainees were wreaking havoc within the crowd of Rockets. The dark-haired boy estimated that nearly half of the grunts had been defeated.

Ever since a portion of the team had made the decision to attack more aggressively, grunts had been dropping like caterpie. Nearly all of the psychic pokemon had been knocked out of the battle, which allowed a lot of the trainees with dark-types to stray away from the main group and incapacitate even more of the grunts.

Ash hadn't been able to pay too much attention to the trainees, but up to this point, he was relatively certain that their side hadn't lost any significant casualties. On account of some of the cursing and words of disappointment amongst the main group, Ash knew that there had been some losses. However, he was positive that neither, Austin, Kent, or himself had been forced to return any of their pokemon.

Austin's nidoking, marowak, golduck and fearow were all in great shape, contributing their power in a multitude of different ways. Nidoking was probably the worse for wear, having been involved in the thick of the battle from the very beginning. Nonetheless, he still had plenty of fight left in him and was nowhere close to unconsciousness. Outside of the vileplume and golem, the beast had hardly been challenged. The grunts' pokemon weren't that powerful after all, even their fully-evolved specimens weren't very well trained in comparison to Nidoking.

Kent's pokemon were absolutely demolishing Team Rocket's forces. Arcanine had probably gotten rid of close to a quarter of the grunts by himself, choosing to focus his energy on the trainers rather than the pokemon. Ash hadn't seen much of Umbreon, but he was sure that the dark eevee evolution was responsible for most of the dismantling of Team Rocket's psychic pokemon. The trainees were strong, but only a master's pokemon could rid of a conflux of psychics that fast. Umbreon was most certainly trained by a master. Therefore, it was more than likely responsible for the psychics' demise.

The yellow eyed ACE trainer's Cloyster had provided an ample amount of long-ranged support for Kent, as well as the main forces. The water/ice-type had been picking off Rocket pokemon like it was a breeze. It had hardly exhausted a fraction of its energy, yet so many pokemon had fallen victim to its acute, overpowered Ice Beam. Cloyster's support had pretty much allowed Kent and his electivire to run free, dismantling the Rockets and their pokemon by the handful. Many had fallen prey to Electivire's numerous paralyzing electric techniques, which the Rockets weren't even close to coming up with an answer for.

Anyways, just in the nick of time, Ash finally located Squirtle in the midst of a very dangerous situation. In the back of the dark, brick-walled, underground alcove; his emotionless water-type was cornered by a ferocious persian and an infernal arbok. Unlike the other fully-evolved Rocket pokemon that Ash had seen, these specimens looked well-trained.

They also appeared to be commanded by a tall, brawny Rocket. Judging by his powerful looking pokemon and slightly altered uniform – which included a couple of pristine, silver badges that were clipped to his jumpsuit's Rocket emblem – Ash guessed that he was a higher rank than the rest of the feeble grunts. He didn't appear to be an executive, but Ash could see him being in charge of supervising the grunts. His posture and demeanor itself seemed much more powerful and sophisticated, albeit just as evil.

From Ash's current vantage point, he could only manage a shoddy attempt at lip-reading the ranked Rocket's commands. The Rocket was too far away to perceive audibly, and Ash's line of sight only allowed for him to get a visual roughly half of the time. It only took a quick examination of Squirtle's current circumstances to be able to tell that, if Ash didn't make a move, his friend wouldn't stand a chance. There was no way that Squirtle could take on the two robust, fully-evolved Rocket pokemon by himself.

As Ash watched the corrupt persian unload a battery of golden stars and witnessed arbok spray a significant amount of acid at Squirtle, the ten-year-old boy used both of his dexterous hands to unclip his Charmander and Clefairy's pokeballs. He quickly released both of them, by his side, as he anxiously observed Squirtle dodge the splurge of Acid Spray before withdrawing into his shell, in order to protect himself from the widespread Swift.

"Charmander, Clefairy!" blurted Ash, frantically, as he gestured towards his cornered Squirtle, "Squirtle's in trouble! He needs your help!"

Both Charmander and Clefairy quickly shook off the after-effects of a long rest before peering ahead with worry filled eyes. As they processed their surroundings, Ash could see the potent effect that their natural adrenaline had had on their dispositions. Charmander's eyes turned feral, and his tail-flame rapidly pulsed. Clefairy's wings started to glow a faint blue as she pounded her fists together.

Charmander and Clefairy gave Ash a brief look of reassurance before darting off at full-speed. The fire-lizard used his compact leg muscles to scamper across the concrete floor of the underground hideout. He pumped his short, stubby arms for extra power as he tried to sever the proximity between himself and his friend. Along the way, Charmander was briefly ambushed by a couple of rattata, but the fire-type used a couple of quick-fire Focus Punches to make quick work of them. Despite the rattatas' lack of strength, it was an exciting feat. Getting to see Charmander use Focus Punch so easily, in live battle, put a smile on Ash's face.

Clefairy moved across the battlefield a lot faster than Charmander. It wasn't because Charmander was slow, but rather on behalf of the fact that Clefairy was using some of her stored lunar essence to hover across the battlefield as briskly as possible. A couple of pitiful zubat tried to intercept her, but the fairy-type easily grounded them with a couple of well-timed Pound attacks.

While Charmander and Clefairy desperately tried to come to Squirtle's aid, Austin turned his attention away from his marowak's battle with a grotesque, sludgy, purple grimer in attempt to check on Ash.

"Do you need help!?" blustered Austin, with an intense expression painted across his face, as he reached at his belt for one of his last two remaining pokeballs. "I can send Meganium!"

Ash noticed a look of respect in Golduck's eyes as his trainer mentioned Meganium's name. Ash had never actually met Austin's foreign starter, but he had heard plenty of stories concerning her aboard the SS _Anne_ and while they were on the road, to know that Austin's meganium was one of his most powerful pokemon.

"Help would be aweso—" managed Ash before being interrupted by a miraculous display.

As Charmander and Clefairy approached the scene, Squirtle, who was beat up, exasperated and cornered, all of a sudden erupted into a surging, white light. Some of the surrounding pokemon, Rockets, and trainees stopped to watch as Squirtle's faint, but visible, form started to change within the illumination. Ash could barely contain the excitement welling up inside him as he watched the spectacular display.

"He's evolving!" cheered Austin as he took his hand off of his meganium's pokeball and placed it on Ash's shoulder. "Perfect timing, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah…" mumbled Ash, completely mesmerized by the obscure light that encased Squirtle's evolving form.

The dark-haired boy's joy was abruptly torn apart, by the feeling of fear, as he watched the persian and arbok lash out with contempt filled eyes, in attempt to interrupt the evolution. Ash instantly went into panic mode. When disrupted, the evolutionary process was unpredictable. If Squirtle was attacked, the shock could completely bastardize the reshaping process. Simply put, if Arbok and Persian managed to reach the turtle pokemon, they could cause permanent damage and disfigurement.

Ash had to force himself to keep his eyes open as arbok and persian were about to make contact. The persian was leading with its claws, probably in preparation for a Fury Swipe attack, whereas the arbok had its mouth agape and fangs ready, fully-prepared to sink its poison bearing teeth into Squirtle. Ash mumbled a silent prayer under his breath, begging an unknown deity for help. Charmander and Clefairy weren't close enough to intercept the merciless Rocket duo. Unless something unexpected happened, they were going to disturb Squirtle's evolutionary process.

That's when it happened...

Two blurs, moving at an inconceivable speed, cut off both of the callous Rocket pokemon. They collided with the persian and arbok, sending them flying into the alcove's brick-wall. There was a nasty duet of squeals that was emitted from the two infernal creatures as they were heavily damaged by the assault, as well as the unforgiving wall.

At the moment of impact, one of the two high-speed obscurations was unveiled. It was Kent's Arcanine, who was clearly using Extreme Speed to protect Ash's evolving Squirtle. After knocking the ranked Rocket's arbok into the wall, Arcanine came to a skidding halt before dashing over to the coruscating light that was still encasing Squirtle.

In subsequence to the collision, the other breakneck blur shot up into the air before unshackling its wings and coming to a precipitous stop. Ash couldn't believe his eyes. The obscure form unveiled itself to be a giant pidgeotto. Pidgeotto had come to Squirtle's rescue, using a technique that was, without a doubt, Agility.

With blood red eyes, Pidgeotto used both of his wings to conjure Twin Tempest, which captured the eyes of many of the battlefield's occupants. As the two massive, purple-tinted twisters formulated in the air, Pidgeotto used his breath to separate them. The howling sound of the duel-twisters caused Ash to cover his ears in order to protect his eardrums. Twin Tempest had proven itself to be the most powerful technique amongst Ash's pokemon, however, the ten-year-old boy had never seen it quite like this. It was at least twice as powerful as normal. Ash could tell Pidgeotto was formulating it based off of pure rage. The avian wasn't holding anything back. At this rate, it was likely that Persian and Arbok would be killed.

If Ash could, he would stop Pidgeotto. The last thing he wanted was for his friend to be labeled a killer, but all he could do was watch. At this point, there was no way to talk sense into his barbarous avian. Regardless of Pidgeotto and Squirtle's less than friendly relationship, they were teammates. And it was rather apparent that Pidgeotto would come to the aid of any of Ash's pokemon, even Squirtle. The fact that Persian and Arbok had tried to disrupt something as sacred as evolution was despicable and dishonorable. Pidgeotto planned on making them pay for their insolence.

As Pidgeotto unleashed his Twin Tempest, Ash saw Kent and his electivire out of the corner of his eye. The yellow eyed Ace trainer and his electric-type were sprinting desperately in order to reach Pidgeotto's powerful attack. While it came screaming down from above, Kent gave two booming commands.

"Electivire, stop the Twisters; Arcanine, take care of the Persian and Arbok!"

At a speed almost impossible to follow, Electivire, covered in a jacket of electricity, jetted over to the action, leaving a trail of blue lightning in its wake. Electivire came to a sudden halt in front of the fast approaching Twin Tempest before initiating a trickle of electricity from its antennas. Within a fraction of a second, the trickle of electricity grew into a highly condensed Electro Ball. With no time to spare, Electivire catapulted the Electro Ball into the, now merging, twisters. Almost instantaneously, the Electro Ball caused an elemental reaction as it forced the tempests to disperse. There was a sudden, widespread, blast of wind that shot its way throughout the entirety of the underground alcove the moment Twin Tempest was nullified.

Ash had to admit, he was relieved at the outcome. Pidgeotto's Twin Tempest had been stopped, which meant that he wouldn't have to live with the guilt that his flying-type had killed two pokemon, no matter of their affiliation. The dark-haired boy had also noticed that, in the thick of all of the chaos, Arcanine had knocked out both Persian and Arbok: a much deserved punishment for their ambush of Squirtle, but a lot more humane than what Pidgeotto had planned to do to them.

In addition, Squirtle's evolution had been completed. A wartortle now stood, slightly dazed and disoriented, in the middle of the battlefield. Wartortle stood about two feet taller than he did while he was in his primary squirtle form. He was a lot more muscular than he used to be, and his pigmentation was an indigo-blue which was a whole shade darker than the squirtle species' light-blue color.

Wartortle's eyes were brown, and he had a dark blue streak of reptilian skin on each of his cheeks. The newly evolved turtle pokemon had two sharp teeth that protruded from his upper jaw, and his fingers had grown sharp, white claws. The bluish white fur that was already starting to grow on Squirtle had completely flourished and now covered the entirety of Wartortle's long ears and tail.

Despite Wartortle's many changes, he still wore the same blank, emotionless expression. However, even though Wartortle's expression remained hard to read, his overall body language projected clearly that he was at least slightly delirious. When evolution is triggered during the middle of battle, it usually results in one of two prototypical responses. Either the adrenaline from the evolution gives the pokemon an initial surge of energy, which typically provides them with a chance to finish out the battle, or evolution results in a temporary exhaustion of all of their power, similar to the after-effects of Torrent. It appeared as though Squirtle was reacting in a way that closely resembled the latter.

Therefore, Ash proceeded to do the only thing that he could: return Wartortle. The ten-year-old boy hastily detached his wartortle's pokeball from his trainer belt before quickly pressing down the button on the face of the capture device. A scarlet red stream of light emanated from the pokeball, shooting through the air in precedence to connecting with its target. Up until Wartortle dematerialized, he stared blankly in a confused manner. Ash couldn't wait to find out how powerful Wartortle had become after evolution, but that would have to come later. Wartortle needed some time to get used to his new form, and he wouldn't be able to do that until after the mission had been resolved.

Anyways, as much as Ash wanted to take a moment to reflect on Wartortle's evolution, his present priority was to focus on the rest of the mission. Although some of the battling had temporarily ceased on account of Wartortle's evolution and Pidgeotto's display, the majority of the chaos was still in full motion.

The ten-year-old boy knew he couldn't risk getting sidetracked. Just because they were being protected by Golduck and Haunter didn't mean that they were invulnerable. Team Rocket had some decent pokemon. If a Rocket pokemon caught them off guard, and was strong enough to break Golduck's barrier, it was possible that Ash and Austin could take damage.

Ash's attention instantly shot back to where all of the excitement had previously taken place. Pidgeotto was squawking angrily at Kent and Electivire, probably on account of the fact that Electivire had nullified his Twin Tempest in order to preserve the lives of the persian and arbok. Ash wasn't surprised by Pidgeotto's attitude; the bird had never responded well to humiliation. And although most pokemon wouldn't see it as that, Pidgeotto most certainly did.

His most powerful technique had been dismantled like it was nothing but a mere Gust. That wasn't something that his Pidgeotto could simply disregard. No. Pidgeotto would more than likely be pissed off for the next couple of days which didn't really bother Ash. His avian had showed something that completely blotched out any qualms regarding his barbarous attitude: a need to protect his teammates, regardless of his relationship with them. No matter how much Pidgeotto and Squirtle disliked each other, Pidgeotto saw him as one of them and, therefore, he came to his rescue when it was necessary.

Ash also had to admit, he was extremely thrilled when it came to Pidgeotto's evident use of Agility. Ash thought that Agility was a technique that they were going to be stuck on for weeks, however, maybe that wasn't the case. Pidgeotto had been forced into a state of mind in which he mentally willed himself to transcend his prior concept of his own speed. Of course, it was possible that the effects were merely temporary, and Pidgeotto had yet to find a way to consistently tap into Agility. Nevertheless, Pidgeotto's brief use of Agility was a good sign. He was a lot closer to mastering the essential move than Ash had originally anticipated which was exciting to say the least.

The only thing that worried Ash about his Pidgeotto's display was how quickly the avian was prepared to kill. It was possible that Pidgeotto was using the full-extent of his power without thinking, but that was rather unlikely. Pokemon were typically very good at guesstimating each other's present stamina. The avian had to have been aware that persian and arbok were already in pretty bad shape due to his and Arcanine's assault. Ash wasn't necessarily surprised; Pidgeotto had always been extremely rough around the edges.

Out of all of his pokemon, the avian would probably be the least guilty after killing an enemy. Pidgeotto was a bird of prey after all. In the wild, Pidgeotto killed caterpie and weedle for sustenance. Therefore, even though the hunting of a bug-type wasn't necessarily of the same ethical principle, it was in Pidgeotto's genes to kill for self-preservation and the preservation of family. Regardless of his disdain for Squirtle, the turtle pokemon was family. Pidgeotto deemed it essential to save the turtle pokemon, no matter the cost. Death of another pokemon wasn't an exception, and quite frankly even though it sickened Ash, he didn't expect anything less. His avian was an especially bloodthirsty specimen. To be honest, Ash was just happy that he was on his side...

Nonetheless, despite Ash's understanding of Pidgeotto's current behavior, now wasn't the time to throw a fit. There were still a lot of Rockets left, and the giant avian was becoming a distraction for Kent, even though the ACE trainer's disposition didn't convey it. For now, it was probably best that Ash returned his friend. His power was no longer imperative. The majority of the golbat had been taken care of, and Pidgeotto had already wrought a significant amount of havoc to the enemies' forces. Besides, nothing was stopping Ash from re-releasing Pidgeotto if he had to, although, going off of the fact more than half of Team Rocket's underground forces had already been defeated, the chances of that were slim.

Ash proceeded to retrieve Pidgeotto's pokeball, which was fastened around his waist, before briskly returning him. Right before the scarlet red light from the capture device made contact with Pidgeotto, Ash thought he saw a look of agitation shoot across the flying-types face. Ash disregarded it, though. He'd deal with Pidgeotto's brief animosity towards him later. At the moment, his other pokemon needed his mind focused and alert in regard to their current circumstances.

Once he finished returning Pidgeotto, the dark-haired boy tried to relocate Charmander and Clefairy. The fire-lizard and the fairy pokemon had just recently entered the battle, and Ash wanted to make sure that they were doing alright. Throughout the process of searching for his two newly released pokemon, Ash witnessed that Kent had taken complete control over Electivire and Arcanine. The ACE trainer led both of his elite level pokemon with authority and confidence, taking out Rockets like it was as easy as catching a wingless pidgey.

After spending a second, or two, mindlessly admiring Kent's powerhouses, Ash recognized a familiar duo of pokemon. Tompkins' bulky male arcanine and Trish's lean female arcanine were working together in order to incinerate a group of atrocious grimer. Ash hadn't noticed too many grimer, but their presence was significant enough to accumulate a horrible smell that, without a doubt, belonged to them and wafted throughout the entire underground base.

Not too far from where Tompkins' and Trish's arcanine were scorching the quartet of grimer, Ash caught sight of Charmander. The fire-lizard was wrapped up in a battle with a tandem of raticate. Despite Charmander's Focus Punch attack, taking on two aggressive raticate, by himself, was a tall order. Raticate weren't exactly the most powerful fully-evolved species found in Kanto, especially the Rocket grunts' poorly trained rodents, but Charmander had a long way to go until he could adroitly battle two pokemon at the same time. The fire-lizard had one of the highest ceilings, in terms of potential, out of all of his friends, but that didn't change the fact that he was Ash's weakest member of the team.

Thankfully, Charmander wasn't forced to take on the two feral raticate by himself. He had the help of some trainee's raichu. The electric rodent wasn't of the same level as Lt. Surge's beastly specimen, but it was still an adept battler. With the raichu's help, Ash felt confident taking his attention away from Charmander for the moment. He and the electric mouse wouldn't have any problem defeating the normal-type rodents.

_BAM!_

Ash's thoughts were suddenly jumbled and jarred by the impact of an unforeseen attack. The dark-haired boy used his eyes to scan through the, now rippling, psychic barrier that Golduck had raised to protect them.

"What was that!?" stammered Ash as he tried to gather himself after the unexpected surprise.

"It was a koffing!" groaned Austin as he pointed at a bizarre looking, spherical, levitating, pokemon. "I think it just shot a Sludge attack at us!"

"Damn..." drawled Ash while placing his hand over his palpitating chest, "I didn't see that coming!"

"That's why we've got Golduck with us," said Austin as he watched his water-type shoot the koffing out of the air, through the translucent barrier, with a broad, high-velocity surge of water.

"Thank God," muttered Ash as he observed the purple poison eat away at the hard, stony floor of the underground hideout, "Otherwise, we would have been goners."

"I wouldn't necessarily say that," said Austin with a smirk. "Look down."

With a curious expression on his face, Ash looked down at the ground directly in front of him. What he found was scary, albeit reassuring. The top of Haunter's head was protruding out of the shadowy floor. At first, Ash couldn't see the expression depicted on Haunter's spooky face. However, after leaning forward in order to get a good look, Ash caught the gist of Haunter's demeanor. The poltergeist's mouth was still concealed within the ground, but his eyes could be seen. They were blood red, and his pupils were no longer visible. If Haunter wasn't his friend, he would be terrified. In that moment, the gaseous ghost wasn't the laid-back, hilarious apparition that Ash knew and loved. Instead, he was an outraged, barbaric demon that was ready to hunt down whatever had tried to hurt his master.

Ash followed Haunter's general line of sight only to expectedly find koffing's unconscious, spherical body spewing out all sorts of different toxins. While Ash had been observing Haunter, Austin's golduck had been busy hitting the koffing with Hydro Pump after Hydro Pump in order to ensure its defeat. It looked as if Golduck had gone slightly overboard, but it was better that the water-type had taken care of the koffing rather than Ash's Haunter. In Haunter's current state, he probably would have killed the poison-type.

Ash didn't know what he did to make his pokemon so protective of him, and each other, but he would have to have a talk with them after the mission in regard to boundaries. The dark-haired boy wasn't upset, in fact, he appreciated that he could abide in their protection, but that didn't change the fact that killing was wrong and immoral, and Ash would rather not condone such actions under any circumstances. Team Rocket killed for their twisted cause, Ash didn't want to reciprocate them in anyway. Even if it was for self-defense, he and his pokemon would find another way.

"It's okay, Haunter, relax," crooned Ash to his ghost-type, "we're in the middle of a battlefield; I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. Go back in my shadow, for now, and be prepared for another attack."

There was a brief moment of uncertainty as Haunter continued to stare forward with murderous eyes, but after a couple more seconds the apparition's angled eyes defogged and went back to normal. The ghost-type looked back at Ash with an expression of deep-rooted concern before nodding his head and receding back into his trainer's shadow.

"That's gotta be the most loyal act I've ever seen from a ghost-type," said Austin. "He's special."

"I know," replied Ash with a smile on his face, "although we're going to have to talk about boundaries. I thought he was going to go and kill that that koffing."

"Eh, it happens," retorted Austin with a shrug. "He'll learn. When my Nidoking first evolved, he wanted to kill anything that so much as looked at me wrong. Now...he just wants to hurt them."

"Okay..." drawled Ash with raised eyebrows, "I guess that's encouraging."

"Hey, I can sense the sarcasm in your voice, Ash," said Austin with a furrowed brow. "Believe it or not, that's a huge step forward. You should have seen him, man. One time he tried to rip a jigglypuff in half because it gave me the stink eye after I fell asleep during her performance. I mean, who tries to hurt a jigglypuff? There so freaking cute."

"Dude, what is it with you and small, pink pokemon?" queried Ash. "First my clefairy, now jigglypuff, I'm starting to see a pattern here."

"Hmm...I don't know," mumbled Austin as he raised his hand up to his chin, "If I had to give you a reason, I'd say it all started when—"

"Whatever!" interjected Ash as he suddenly remembered where he was, "We're in the middle of a battle! We don't have time for this!"

"Good point," retorted Austin with a shift in his countenance, "but we're going to revisit this topic after the mission."

"Suit yourself," replied Ash as he chimed back in on his surroundings.

Now that he'd gotten a visual of Charmander's current status and whereabouts, Ash did a quick scan of the battlefield in search of Clefairy. It didn't take too long to find her, due to the fact that she was battling in close proximity to Ash's fire-lizard. Clefairy was fighting against a rare scyther and pinsir. The majority of her attention was planted on pinsir, whereas scyther was being handled by Austin's marowak.

The pinsir was average. It was most certainly stronger than the pinsir that Samurai had used back in the Viridian Forest, but it wasn't nearly as skilled as Austin's pinsir. In fact, compared to Austin's pinsir, the pinsir Clefairy was up against was rather weak. Nevertheless, the stag beetle pokemon's pincers posed a problem. No matter how adept the specimen was, a pinsir's horns were dangerous. Clefairy would need to be smart about how she handled the weaker opponent.

Austin's marowak appeared to be having a tough time against the scyther. Even when poorly trained, scyther were extremely dangerous. They were nothing like the other frail bug-types in Kanto. Scyther were highly skilled warriors in the wild; their tenacity and thirst for battle went uncontested in the thick forests and woodlands that they occupied. Their adroitness at battle is what made Ash want one so bad. A powerful bug-type was rare in Kanto, and scyther's evolved form, scizor, was part steel—which was another rare typing in the region.

From what Ash could see, it appeared as if Clefairy was quickly taking control of her battle with the pinsir. Clefairy's evasive skills were just way too good for Pinsir to overcome. Every time the stag beetle would get close to connecting with its giant pincers, Clefairy would either use Minimize or just dodge them outright. Pinsir also tried to land various other physical techniques such as Brick Break, Vital Throw and Double Hit, but they were easily dodged by Clefairy's adept evasive abilities.

As the battle went on, Pinsir was becoming more and more reluctant to strike. Clefairy was tearing pinsir apart every time he missed with either a precipitous Double Slap or a hard-hitting Pound. Every once in a while, Pinsir would use Harden to enhance its defenses, however, that would come back to bite it pretty soon. Clefairy had been charging Stored Power for practically the entire battle, and Ash knew that by the time Pinsir realized it, it would be way too late.

The battle between Marowak and the Rocket Scyther was incredibly intense. Marowak was much better trained, but it was also exhausted. Austin's ground-type had been battling for quite some time now and had gone up against some of Team Rocket's more formidable pokemon. As things stood now, Ash wasn't sure who would come out on top. They were trading blow for blow, using their own natural weapon of choice to hack away at each other. Marowak used its giant bone to leave nasty bruises on scyther's segmented body, while Scyther had left a couple of shallow cuts across marowak's arms and chest with its biological scythes.

Ash had glanced over at Austin a couple of times, who was also watching the battle. The teenager didn't seem too worried, but Ash did notice that he was paying extra attention to Marowak's battle compared to the others.

But, then again, the others didn't need his active attention. Nidoking was a monster, and even though he was tired, the beast just kept on decimating opponent after opponent. Ash's guess was that Nidoking would make it throughout the entirety of the fight. The only reason Austin could be forced to return him is if Nidoking was too tired. Damage wouldn't be an issue. Outside of the single ranked Rocket's few remaining pokemon, the grunts didn't have anything left on the battlefield that could harm Nidoking.

Fearow's role in the battle had dwindled now that all of the Rocket's flying-types had been defeated. He was the last avian in the available airspace and had also proven himself to have been the best. Despite the underground facilities tall ceilings, it wasn't exactly the best place for pokemon species that relied on flight. However, Fearow had shown just how good of a flyer he was throughout the battle, having grounded a good chunk of the Rocket's flying-types. For the most part, the bird of prey now just provided aerial support by throwing powerful gusts of wind down on land pokemon and grunts.

After observing Austin's pokemon for a short while, Ash tried to track down Ivysaur and Growlithe, who had been battling hard since the very beginning of the invasion. It took him a little while to track down Ivysaur, who was busy knocking out a few cornered grunts. From Ash's vantage point, he could tell that Ivysaur was exhausted and had taken a significant chunk of damage, albeit he could still battle. The saurian's stamina had greatly increased after his evolution, and the majority of his fighting had been done using status powders and his Vine Whips. Ivysaur was built for long, grueling battles, and he had definitely shined throughout the entirety of this one.

While Ash was using his eyes to survey the alcove, in search of Growlithe, he spotted Kent at the tail end of a battle against the ranked Rocket. Ever since his persian and arbok had been defeated, the ranked Rocket had been battling with a massive, muscular, four-armed machamp and a nasty, feral flareon. His pokemon were impressive; they were definitely light years ahead of the rest of the grunts' pokemon. But, just because the ranked Rocket was skilled didn't mean that he stood a chance against a trainer of Kent's caliber. Ash's guess was that the brawny Rocket could probably take on the majority of the trainees one-on-one, but Kent was just too powerful.

Kent battled with Electivire and Arcanine, who hadn't taken a hint of damage throughout the entirety of the mission. They'd been battling non-stop, not taking a break for anything, and they didn't have a scratch on them. Ash couldn't even fathom what they were like when pushed to their limits. Thank goodness that Kent was on their side; he made victory a sure thing before the battle had even begun.

During his brief viewing of Kent's battle against the leader of the base, Ash had noticed that almost all of the Rockets had been knocked unconscious. There were probably less than fifty still standing, and they were dropping by the second. Cloyster had played a major role within the main group, using his Ice Beam and Water Gun, like a turret, to mow down the enemy. Once Electivire and Cloyster were released, less than twenty minutes ago, Team Rocket didn't stand a chance. They were just way too powerful.

Going off of what Ash had been able to see of Growlithe throughout the battle, he'd say that his puppy pokemon fought well. Other than Vileplume, Growlithe had primarily gone after pokemon that were within his league battle wise. The canine was getting stronger, but he was still young. What made him effective in the battle were his wits. Growlithe had battled where he could do the most damage, taking on grass-types and the grunts' pokemon that were in their primary form. With the help of the Poliwhirl from earlier, Growlithe was currently finishing off the last of the rattata and raticate within the hideout. His canine looked tired and beat up, but Ash was pretty sure that he could make it until the conclusion of the mission...

In between blinks, Rockets were being sent into a motionless comatose. There were now only a handful left, and the yellow eyed ACE trainer had almost subdued the lone ranked Rocket. The last of the Rockets' pokemon were trying to protect their trainers, but it was of no use. There were just way too many trainees, and the amount of trainee pokemon nearly tripled the grunts' last remnant of battlers.

As the main group converged on the remainder of the grunts, there was nothing that the enemy could do but back away and allow themselves to get cornered. A few grunts tried to sneakily escape, but their attempts were futile. Either one of the trainees' pokemon knocked them out, or one of the trainees themselves used their hand-to-hand combat skills to immobilize them.

Ivysaur, Charmander, Nidoking and about two dozen other trainees' pokemon were attacking together in order to finish of the last of the Rockets' poison-types. Of course, it wasn't a tidy assault: there were some normal-types, bug-types and grass-types intermixed within the group. However, their main objective was to get rid of the last fragment of poison-type pokemon.

Ash managed to catch the tail end of Clefairy's battle against the pinsir, when she finally used the Stored Power that she had been saving up throughout the entirety of the battle. The explosion of energy was emanated at point-blank range, completely catching Pinsir off guard. The menacing stag-beetle was sent flying into the hard brick-wall. Ash wasn't exactly sure whether the pinsir blacked-out upon impact with the Stored Power or the wall. Either way, it was out cold.

Austin's marowak hadn't been able to defeat the scyther on its own. Marowak was just too worn down to finish off scyther and had to rely on Fearow to help ensure victory. Ash could tell that Marowak was a prideful pokemon, but this was a mission...not a league match. Victory is what mattered. By working together, Marowak and Fearow were able to finish off the barbarous scyther with a devastating Double-Edge and Drill Peck combination.

The remainder of the rattata and raticate had been defeated, so Growlithe was helping the majority of the trainees' pokemon immobilize the last of the grunts. They were working fast and their task would be complete any moment now. The grunts were few and cornered; the battle was coming to an end.

The ranked Rocket desperately tried to fend off Kent, but Ash could tell by the look of despair on his face that he knew his attempts were frivolous. His flareon was unconscious, and the only pokemon that he had left was his machamp. Arcanine had left the battle to help the trainees' disable the last of the grunts. Arcanine's Extreme Speed would have the grunts utterly defeated in a matter of seconds. Ash didn't even need to watch the battle against the grunts anymore. He decided to just focus his attention on Kent and Electivire.

"Electivire, finish it off!" howled Kent with fire in his eyes.

The monstrous fully-evolved electric-type burst forward while discharging electricity in every which direction. He forced the machamp onto its heels as he got in close. The four-armed humanoid pokemon tried to defend itself with a couple of heavy haymakers, but Electivire effortlessly dodged all four arms before connecting a Thunder Punch into Machamp's gut. The superpower pokemon spit saliva everywhere, after having the wind knocked out of it.

Electivire didn't give the onlooking trainers a chance to cringe at the blow, though, because he instantly began to unload Thunder Punch after Thunder Punch on machamp's muscular body. The machamp cried out while being pulverized by Electivire's electricity doused fists. Once Electivire was done, he stepped away with a large satisfied grin on his face as Machamp heedlessly fell onto its back with vacant eyes.

Ash stared ahead with wide-eyes and a slacked-jaw. He couldn't believe what he had just seen. Electivire had manhandled the machamp like it was a newborn machop. Kent's pokemon were on a level that Ash could hardly comprehend. Much like Wallace and Sabrina, there weren't very many trainers that could hold a candle to his skill level. Kent was amongst the cream of the crop, he was a master at battle. Without Kent, this mission may have gone differently. With Kent, it had been utterly one-sided.

As Kent had Electivire quickly use Thunder Wave to temporarily paralyze the ranked Rocket, Ash felt a sudden surge of movement within the main group. When the dark-haired boy pivoted his eyes to see why everyone was hastening forward. He realized that all of the grunts had been knocked unconscious and their pokemon had all been defeated. The base had been conquered, and the battle was over. They had won. Their part of the mission was complete. Team Rocket's main forces in Saffron had been defeated.

Like the rest of the trainees and Austin, Ash cantered forward in order to shower his pokemon with congratulations and thanks. They had fought well. They deserved the praise.

As he ran out towards his friends, and bypassed the lot of unconscious Rockets and pokemon, one by one his exhausted pokemon spotted him. Growlithe was the first to approach, followed by Clefairy, Charmander and finally Ivysaur. They looked up at him with exhausted expressions, especially Growlithe and Ivysaur, who had been his only pokemon that had endured the entirety of the battle. Outside of Haunter, who had dwelled within Ash's shadow throughout the battles complete duration.

Speaking of Haunter, the ghost-type exited Ash's shadow in order to greet his teammates. Ash had to admit, having Haunter's incorporeal form bound to his shadow throughout the battle had given him a lot of security. Although, other than the lone koffing that attacked Golduck's barrier, he had never been in actual danger. Ash now knew that if he were put in a situation in which his life was in jeopardy, Haunter would protect him. The way Haunter had behaved in response to the koffing's Sludge attack had proven that the apparition was more than reliable.

Although they were incredibly thrilled that the battle was over and that they had been reunited with their trainer, Ivysaur and Growlithe were having a tough time showing any kind of emotion other than exhaustion. Now that they had a second to breathe, the full-weight of the battle had caught up to them. They could barely stand because of how much energy they had exerted.

"Growlithe, Ivysaur, you two were amazing," crooned Ash as he handled both of their pokeballs. "Words cannot describe how proud I am of you. But, I can give you praise later. For now, take a break. You've earned it."

Prior to the return, Ash thought he saw a look of relief sprout across their faces. Once the red light from the pokeball had receded back into its place of origin, Ash attached Growlithe and Ivysaur's pokeballs back onto his trainer belt before addressing Clefairy and Charmander."

"How are you two feeling?" asked Ash in a curious manner, "I'm sorry I didn't release you earlier, but things were kind of hectic. I could only do so much at once. I'm proud of the way you battled, though. Charmander, your Focus Punch was awesome. And, Clefairy, the way you handled that pinsir was really impressive. I couldn't have asked for a better effort out of you two."

Since Charmander and Clefairy weren't nearly as exasperated as his starter and saurian, Ash could actually see the bashful expressions that they had accumulated while he was complimenting them. Charmander had even proceeded to latch onto the ten-year-old boy's leg, which was his most frequently used method of showing affection.

As Charmander hugged Ash's leg, and Clefairy and Haunter visited amongst each other, Ash caught a glimpse of Austin and Golduck steadily approaching him out of his peripherals.

"Well, what do you think?" questioned Austin as he clipped one of his pokeballs to his belt. "I knew we'd win, but that went better than expected."

"Right," replied Ash while he gently patted the top of Charmander's head, "the element of surprise really did them in. They definitely weren't expecting us."

"It was a good plan," said Austin with a slight look of guilt on his face, "I shouldn't have been so skeptical."

"All of your concerns made sense," answered Ash. "Besides, we still don't know what happened with Sabrina and Wallace."

"True," retorted Austin with a shrug, "I'm sure they're fine, though. Speaking of Wallace and Sabrina, we should probably see if Kent has gotten an update on their status. I'm sure he's heard something by now.

Ash and Austin surveyed the destroyed underground hideout in search of Kent. After a brief struggle to track him down, they finally spotted him a fair proximity away from the conflux of unconscious bodies and trainees, speaking to someone on a black and red pokegear. They wasted no time as they signaled for their pokemon to follow them before they briskly jogged over to Kent. As they approached the yellowed eyed ACE trainer, he had just finished up his conversation over the phone.

As they neared Kent, the Ace trainer flashed them a large grin prior to using both of his rough hands to pat them on their heads as if they were his little brothers. "Good job, boys. You kept your composure and battled well. I'm glad that you came along. It's nice to see that your generation has some trainers that are willing to throw themselves into the fire. There are not many kids, like you two, out there anymore. Gives me hope."

"Thanks," answered both of the boys with humongous smiles stretching from cheek to cheek.

"All of your pokemon were impressive," said Kent as he placed his hands on his hips, "but, Austin, your Nidoking really caught my eye. He battled like a true warrior. You trained him well. And, Ash, despite your Pidgeotto's lack of self-control at the end there, it was an impressive specimen. The way it came to your wartortle's aid was admirable, although, you might want to address the concept of mercy."

Both boys nodded their heads as they continued to listen to Kent's unexpected evaluation.

"Also, Ash, I want to point out that your Growlithe reminds me of Arcanine when he was a pup. Their battle styles are very similar. Your Growlithe is going to be one special arcanine when it evolves. Keep training him hard."

"Really?" asked Ash, flattered, "maybe that's why Arcanine has taken an interest in him."

"I guarantee it," retorted Kent with a grin. "Anyways, I just got off of the phone with the Saffron Police Department. After Officer Jenny gets over the shocking news that Team Rocket has returned, they should be on their way to help detain the grunts."

"That's good news," replied Austin with a nod, "have you heard any news from Bill yet? What happened on Wallace and Sabrina's end?"

"Yeah…" added Ash, "they're okay, right?"

"I haven't gotten any word yet," answered Kent as he shook his head, "I was just about to call Bill before you guys came over here."

"You can call him now," replied Austin with a shrug, "don't mind us."

Ash nodded his head in agreement as he waited for Kent to respond.

"Will do—" managed Kent before his pokegear interrupted him.

"_Ring_…"

"_Ring_…"

Ash caught a glimpse of the pokegear's external screen as it lit up: it read Bill Montgomery.

"I guess Bill beat me to it," blurted Kent before flipping open the pokegear and pressing the talk button. "This shouldn't take too long boys."

Ash watched as Kent proceeded to walk a short-distance away from them, with the pokegear held up to his ear. He paced back and forth as he listened to whatever Bill had to say. Ash's anxiety spiked as he watched Kent's disposition go from relaxed to alert and disturbed. His body language and facial expression explained it all...something had gone wrong.

The dark-haired boy couldn't hear what they were talking about, but he could make out the indisputable tone of agitation in Kent's voice. Whatever Bill was reporting to him didn't make the yellow eyed ACE Trainer happy. When their conversation was over, Kent carelessly closed his pokegear and stormed over to the boys.

"What's wrong!?" questioned Ash as he felt Charmander's claws cling onto his pant leg.

"What did Bill say!?" queried Austin with worry in his voice, "did something go wrong?"

"Ariana is on the run!" bellowed Kent, "There's not enough time to explain the rest! We've got to go! Time is of the essence! Sabrina and Wallace need our help! Follow me!"

Ash gulped as images of the deceitful Ariana flooded his mind. It appeared as though their role in the mission wasn't over after all. Wallace and Sabrina needed them. The streets of Saffron weren't safe. Ariana had escaped the warehouse and it was up to them to help bring her down.

Ash didn't know where they were going, but one thing was certain. There was going to be another battle and it more than likely wasn't going to be pretty.

XXX

To be continued…

XXX

A/N:

Well friends, that was Saffron City "part 1". The next chapter will resolve the arc and include Sabrina's gym battle. I honestly was not expecting to write so much this chapter, but I couldn't help it. I like to develop my arcs and take my time with my story telling. Nothing will be rushed in Essence. This is a long-term project, and my characters will be developed accordingly. I will try to get the next part out by September 13th, but that will be hard. I usually try to write about a month ahead, and my cushion has diminished because of the length of the last three chapters. I will try to stick to my specified update date, but if there are any setbacks I will put something up in my bio page. I have a lot to write and am also currently in the process of re-editing chapters two through four. Nevertheless, chapter 7 will be out sometime in September at the latest. Expect another long chapter, hopefully not quite as long as this one. The last battle scene was a lot longer than I thought it would be. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. With the help of Pwnerbrad, I just finished editing this beast and am way too thrilled about how it came out to wait until the 13th for you guys to read it. Please take the time to review. I would love to hear your thoughts. I put a lot of effort into this and knowing that I have active readers is a great motivator.

Much Love, _v__incentgrey21_


	7. Kanto 7

Kanto 7: Essence

Despite the many times he had sworn that he would never ride Pidgeotto bareback again, Ash found himself grasping onto his avian's brawny neck like his life depended on it.

The wind was frigid as it smacked him across the face and caused his hair to careen and ruffle. They were entering into the latter half of Kanto's autumn, which meant that the weather was beginning to significantly drop in temperature.

His stomach twisted and turned as Pidgeotto thoughtlessly weaved around Fearow. Ash caught a momentary glimpse of Austin giving him a knowing smirk while he too straddled his very own flying-type.

Austin's experience wasn't brutal like Ash's. Austin was in possession of a rather nice saddle made out of tauros' hide, and Fearow used his adroitly honed skill at manipulating air currents in order to provide Austin with a smooth ride.

On the other hand, Ash's ride atop Pidgeotto was anything but smooth. Pidgeotto was flying at an incredible speed and had yet to become skilled at manipulating wind. To make things worse, because of their current circumstances, Ash's anxiety had already been triggered before he ever even climbed on top of Pidgeotto.

Only about fifteen minutes had passed since Kent's conversation with Bill, and they had been forced to traipse their way up several underground flights of stairs in order to reach the Magnet Train station's surface.

Once they reached the surface, Sabrina got in touch with Kent using her telepathy. The psychic virtuoso let Kent know that she was going to ambush Ariana via teleportation and that she needed back-up. Ash didn't know anything else, but he figured that Wallace must have been forced to stay back at the warehouse, probably to look after Robert.

Their present group only consisted of Kent, Austin and himself. They couldn't fill any of the trainees in on what was going on, primarily on account of the fact that they were short on time. At least, that's what Kent said. Ash and Austin were not a part of the telepathic conversation with Sabrina, so they weren't really sure what was going on. All they knew was that Ariana had escaped the warehouse hideout and that the other team needed their help to catch her.

Ash and Austin were presently riding their flying-types while Kent was hanging onto Arcanine's back as he dashed throughout the city. Arcanine effortlessly avoided the many walking citizens by nimbly jetting around them. With just about every bound the canine took, he garnered the frightened attention of the city's people. However, to them, Arcanine just appeared to be a yellow and black blur. The canine wasn't using Extreme Speed. If that were the case, Pidgeotto and Fearow wouldn't be able to keep up. But, he was moving fast enough to appear as an obscuration to those around him.

As they followed Kent's arcanine, from the sky, Ash could hear the unmistakable sound of police sirens in the distance. The obnoxious noise was loud and belonged to many individual sources. Pidgeotto and Fearow weren't all that high in the sky, so Ash couldn't get a visual of the supposed police squad. Nevertheless, Ash was certain that the sirens belonged to Officer Jenny's squad, heading west towards the Magnet Train station and the warehouse in order to detain the hundreds of incapacitated grunts.

Ash wasn't sure how they were currently tracking Ariana. Ash figured that Arcanine was either following Sabrina's scent, or Sabrina was providing Kent with directions using her telepathy. Whatever the case, Ash wouldn't question Kent's pursuit. Wherever Arcanine went, he would follow. The first-class ACE trainer's disposition when he embarked upon his fire-type didn't depict a sliver of uncertainty.

Whether it was Sabrina's scent or her cerebral communication that was guiding them to their destination, Ash suddenly noticed a thick cloud of smoke that briskly ascended into the sky near the northern edge of Saffron.

The smoke wafted throughout the northern sector of the city, and as they got closer, Ash could perceive it with his sense of smell. It was an atrocious scent. As it traveled through Ash's nostrils, it caused his heart to palpitate and his body to perspire. The smell of smoke corresponded to calamity, and given the circumstances, he couldn't help but worry.

The sight of the smoke didn't just cause a physical reaction, but it also impacted him mentally. The last time he had seen this much smoke was after the destruction of the SS _Anne. _The ominous, crepuscular haze triggered multiple intrusive thoughts that vividly grated against his psyche. He involuntarily imagined the Rockets: Sid, Reid, and Jack being eaten by a blast of white flame, a product of Wallace and his decision to leave them to fall victim to the explosion.

In concurrence to the initial sighting of the fume bearing horizon, Arcanine hastened his pace. Going off of Arcanine's rapid reaction, it was safe to say that the smoke was somehow related to Sabrina and Ariana. That didn't come as a surprise. However, it didn't do anything to quench Ash's nerves. As they closed in on the smoke, the setting took a perilous shift. The sky was gloomy on account of the smog, and there was a horde of citizens madly trying to escape in the direction of the city's southern districts.

As Ash witnessed the large-scale confusion and consternation, his mind instantly went back to the moments prior to the SS _Anne's _demise. The look of fear in the citizens' faces caused Ash to shudder and curse the name Team Rocket under his breath.

As they plunged deeper into the calamitous fog, Ash's eyes started to burn, and it didn't take long for him to procure a nasty cough. The smoke was extremely agitating, and the longer they remained in the air, the more aggravating it would get. Until the source of the smoke was put out, it would continue to rise, eclipsing the natural beauty of today's atmospheric conditions.

The sound of the frightened citizens' screams was drowned out by the loud, discordant noise of explosions within the midst of the forthcoming blackened district. Ash could no longer bear to keep his eyes open on account of the thick, caliginous, atmospheric mask. However, his stomach was beginning to drop in response to Pidgeotto's descent. He figured that they were closing in on Sabrina and Ariana's location. As his insides plummeted, Ash tried to open his eyes in order to examine his surroundings.

They had dropped to a much lower altitude. Pidgeotto's talons nearly scraped the roofs of some of the subjacent apartment buildings. Out of the corner of his burning eye, Ash caught a glimpse of Fearow nosediving into his line of sight before liberating his wings in order to level-out.

The fully-evolved bird of prey gave Pidgeotto a conceited look as he showed off his adept aeronautical skills. Ash was also able to make out a small smirk on Austin's face before both birds dropped altitude, once again, and protracted their wingspans.

For the most part, the smoke concealed their surroundings. It wasn't quite as thick now that they had lowered themselves underneath the risen, smoggy confluence. However, Ash could only really see Fearow and Austin, who like Pidgeotto were beginning to descend for a landing.

As they carefully lowered themselves to the ground, Ash noticed Kent and Arcanine, who had come to a complete stop. Kent was currently disembarking from his fire-type as he supervised the boys' landing.

Pidgeotto and Fearow's talons simultaneously hit the street's asphalt surface. Ash grimaced in response to the jarring recoil of the landing as Pidgeotto skid to a turbulent stop. He would have worried about Pidgeotto injuring his talons on the hard black-top surface, but it wasn't necessary. Pidgeotto's talons were rough and durable. They could easily withstand landing on just about any surface.

Once Pidgeotto came to a stop, Ash instantly dismounted from his flying-type and shook his body loose of the rigid tension that he had accumulated throughout the brutal ride.

Staying on Pidgeotto wasn't an easy task, especially when the flying-type was trying to keep up with one of the fastest pokemon in Kanto. Ash's hands were nearly locked in place because of the strain required to hold onto the skin underneath Pidgeotto's feathers, and the insides of his legs were sore and raw from squeezing his flying-type's back.

Ash practically scowled as he watched Austin effortlessly jump out of Fearow's saddle. The chiseled faced teenager showed no hint of displeasure, which caused a pang of jealousy to shoot throughout Ash's being.

Before Pidgeotto and Fearow had an opportunity to butt heads, Austin returned Fearow's saddle into a tiny storage device called a depository case prior to returning his avian. The dark-haired boy followed Austin's lead and returned Pidgeotto, who had been abnormally quiet ever since his attempted murder of the ranked Rocket's persian and arbok.

"What's with the nasty look?" questioned Austin as he clipped Fearow's pokeball to his trainer belt.

"Err…nothing," mumbled Ash, suppressing his overwhelming desire to complain, "Just a little sore, that's all."

"Figured as much," said Austin with a shrug, "riding bareback freaking sucks."

Their brief conversation was interrupted by the sound of Kent's edgy voice, "There's no time for trivial chatter. Release a pokemon that can provide you with protection, and let's go. Sabrina's in battle with Ariana up ahead."

Ash and Austin responded with silent nods as they both unclipped a pokeball from their belt. Ash proceeded to release Haunter, who entered the scene with his typical emanation of ghoulish laughter. Whereas Austin released Golduck, who simply crossed his arms and waited for his trainer to give him an order.

"Hey, Haunter," greeted Ash with a smile while his ghost-type circled him with a look of anticipation. "You know the drill. I need you to protect me from my shadow."

Haunter didn't waste any time. He quickly nodded his body up and down before lowering himself into Ash's shadow. As the friendly apparition merged into Ash's blurry obscuration, he felt a sudden change in his disposition.

He felt a strange chill trickle throughout his body, but his anxiety lessened. Once again, he felt safe. In addition, once Haunter entered Ash's faded shadow, the delineated image thickened and became more discernible. Apparently, despite the lack of sunlight, Haunter's unnatural presence in Ash's shadow made it more visible.

Ash was too busy with Haunter to pay attention to any of the words that Austin was concurrently sharing with his water-type. However, the dark-haired boy did notice that Golduck had surrounded them with a Light Screen—which would help protect them from long-distance elemental attacks.

"Good," drawled Kent as he beckoned Arcanine to lead the group, "now stay in there, and let's move forward."

As the trio and their pokemon moved forward, the smoke got thicker, and the sound of the explosions got louder. It was still blatant that the battle was happening a bit up ahead, but Ash could tell that they were getting close.

Regardless of Haunter and Golduck's presence, Ash couldn't help but feel nervous. Although the initial operation underneath the Magnet Train station had already slightly numbed his apprehension towards Team Rocket. With Kent and Sabrina on their side, they would be just fine.

"Keep your eyes peeled," suggested Kent, "we don't know how many grunts escaped with Ariana. There could be some in the area."

"Gotchya," replied Ash as he rubbed his irritated eyes.

"Yup," answered Austin while attentively swiveling his head.

While the roaring sound of detonations got louder and louder, it still took them about five minutes of carefully trudging through the polluted fog to catch a visual of the battle. Even though they had been expecting to run into something for quite some time, it still didn't prepare them for the chaos that they ran into.

The first thing Ash noticed was the wild group of battling pokemon. It was hard to get clear images because of the thick smoke and glaring, violent fires, but Ash saw some powerful specimens fighting amongst the crowd.

Right off the bat, he spotted a duo of abra taking on a blood-thirsty magmar. The apparent Rocket pokemon spewed fire in every which direction and was obviously one of the main reasons for the large, encompassing patches of fire. The two abra, which without a doubt belonged to Sabrina, had the strong magmar enveloped in a cloak of psychic energy.

However, the shackled beast still managed to spit fire all over the place and appeared to be on the cusp of breaking loose. Its eyes were redder than the flames that it let out, and its tail flame was as big as a camp-fire. It was obvious that the infernal monster was one of the executive's pokemon; no grunt could command such a monstrous creature.

In close proximity to the two abra, and the magmar, were a couple of raticate. The raticate, more than likely, belonged to grunts and not the executive. Other than their ferocity, nothing else stood out about them. They were easily being kept at bay by an oversized drowzee.

Most psychic pokemon didn't show external signs of evolution, but the drowzee line was different. Ash could see where the white mane of a hypno was starting to sprout from the fur around drowzee's neck, and drowzee's upper, yellow coat was beginning to spread out amidst its legs. The only thing that concerned Ash about the raticate was that their trainers were out of sight. As a matter of fact, he had yet to spot a single human amongst the chaos.

"Should we help!?" questioned Austin, trying to be heard over the discordant sound of warfare.

"Not yet!" howled Kent. "We need to find Sabrina! This is merely the outskirts of the battle zone! The abra will be fine, and that drowzee has those raticate under control! We need to keep moving forward. Our help is needed up ahead!"

Both boys nodded their heads as they closely followed behind Kent.

As they passed by the tandem of abra and the drowzee, the psychics acknowledged them with a cold, blank stare. Ash wasn't quite sure what their looks conveyed. He would probably have to train a psychic pokemon of his own in order to understand their stony-faced expressions and lethargic body language. But, then again, even if he did have a psychic of his own, they were almost alien in their behavior. Without the use of telepathy, psychic pokemon were very hard to decipher. It would be like trying to understand Sabrina if she was mute.

The raticate and magmar recognized their collective presence in a different way. The duo of raticate glared at them with fiery eyes, and they showed their fangs while hissing like savages. The magmar roared like a demon, and if it didn't have its hands full with the abra, it would without a doubt charge them with reckless abandon, albeit Ash doubted it would get very far.

Kent's arcanine had its eyes glued to the beast. If the magmar were to somehow break loose, it would be handled in a flash. Despite the fact that the magmar was definitely stronger than anything Ash could throw at it, Kent's arcanine was, by leaps and bounds, the stronger specimen. Just by eyeing it, Ash could tell that the magmar couldn't hold a candle to Arcanine's supreme might.

Disregarding the Rocket pokemon's infernal rage, Kent continued to lead the group forward towards the heart of the battle zone. After passing by the initial fight, there was a brief pause in the action before they came across the next assemblage of vicious battles.

Ash had to say that having Kent with them definitely changed how they approached the situation. If it was just Ash and Austin, they would be forced to track down Sabrina using more covert methods. However, with Kent's accompaniment, that wasn't necessary. Arcanine could incapacitate any pokemon that Team Rocket had, thus they all ambulated forward with confidence knowing this truth.

Their present surroundings were much more chaotic than the edge of the battle zone. If it weren't for Arcanine, Golduck, and Haunter, Ash would be afraid. His anxiety was present, but that was only natural. Ash had been through a lot as of late; he was aware of just how ruthless Team Rocket was.

Not to mention the fact that the anticipation was killing him. He was not foolish enough to think that they would remain unchallenged within Golduck's protective bubble for long. At some point, they would be forced into action. When that would take place, he didn't know.

To his right, Ash spotted a bulky, pink, bipedal pokemon that stood about five-feet tall and had a tan, striped belly that matched its muzzle. It had large, vacant eyes that presently projected an ominous blue, along with two curled ears and two sharp teeth that protruded out of its upper-jaw. On its hands, it had three sharp claws, as well as two sharp claws on its feet.

Attached to its thick tail was another entity. It was clamped on with its razor-sharp teeth. If Ash didn't have any knowledge of the being's host, he would be unsure what the creature was. However, Ash recognized the pokemon as a slowbro. He knew that the creature clamped onto the slowbro was an alternately morphed spiral shellder—which had either chosen or been forced to live its life halfway between a shellder and a cloyster.

The slowbro was at a disadvantage, facing off against a rather hideous looking victreebel. The large, yellow, bell-shaped pokemon spit all kinds of different shades of purple poison at Slowbro, while trying to get close enough to wrap its gaping mouth around the water/psychic duel-type. Its murderous eyes were locked onto Slowbro, while its large, sharp teeth secreted dangerous looking purple liquid that ate away at the asphalt when it leaked to the ground.

If Slowbro was strictly a water-type it would have been done for. Good thing it wasn't. Slowbro's secondary psychic typing gave it a way to fend off the venomous grass-type that probably belonged to Executive Ariana. Slowbro used a few close-ranged, psychic attacks to try and create distance between itself and Victreebel—a lot of which Ash didn't recognize.

However, amidst the carnage, Ash saw Slowbro fend Victreebel off with a pink array of energy. Ash wasn't overly familiar with a slowbro's learnset, but more than likely, it was either Confusion or Psychic. Ash knew this because, unless Sabrina had used a TM, Slowbro was limited in its long-ranged psychic potential.

To Ash's left, a small narrow-eyed abra faced off against a few ekans. And Sabrina's hypno battled against a humongous arbok that put the one used by the ranked Rocket, back at the underground hideout, to shame. It was at least four-feet longer than the one Pidgeotto had almost killed, and its overall girth was tremendous. Its most distinctive feature was its oversized hood, which was nearly twice the size of most arbok. Although it wasn't a giant, Ash could tell that the arbok was a gifted specimen, most likely belonging to Ariana.

As things stood now, it looked like the abra would finish off the two ekans quickly. And no matter how gifted of a specimen the arbok was, it was battling Rin, who was Sabrina's strongest hypno. Ariana's pokemon might stand a chance against some of Sabrina's less experienced pokemon, but Rin was on Sabrina's _true_ team, which meant that the arbok didn't stand a chance. Besides, Hypno had the type advantage. Therefore, the arbok's demise was inevitable.

Straight ahead of them was—

—Ash's thoughts were severed and broken by the sound of Golduck's abruptly shattered Light Screen. Ash was barely able to catch a glimpse of the culprit when the hellish form of a pissed off Haunter frenziedly emerged from Ash's shadow, with a fist glowing of dark purple essence.

Bearing feral eyes and a closed mouth, Haunter buried its shadowy fist into the assailant, causing it to falter and skid across the smoldering street. As the attacker ceased its involuntary roll and gathered itself, Ash was able to visualize its form.

However, the ten-year-old boy's ability to process the pokemon's image was hindered by Austin, who was grimacing while cursing loud enough to be heard over the encompassing psychic blasts.

"Shit, it freaking scratched my arm!" blustered Austin, pain evident in his intonation.

Ash instantly took his eyes off of the menacing creature and looked to his left. Austin was grabbing his right arm, which was leaking a fair amount of scarlet red blood. Ash's eyes instantly widened upon the sight.

A _scratch—_no, this was a deep laceration. The pokemon that attacked them had taken a good chunk out of Austin's arm. Ash instantly wondered how something like this could happen, but then he saw Golduck, who had been forced to one knee. The water/psychic-type put forth an angry squawk, and his eyes were injected with fury. Golduck's gaze was locked straight ahead on the creature that had injured his master.

Ash didn't recognize the pokemon that hissed in front of them. It was bipedal and weasel-like. The creature had several red feathery areas on its body, most notably its tail feathers and its crown. The devious looking pokemon, Ash guessed to be a dark-type, had a yellow oval marking in the center of its forehead. And it had three ridiculously sharp claws on each paw—one of which was covered in blood.

The dark, definitely foreign, creature barbarically licked the blood from its claw before charging forward.

Ash watched Golduck try to get up to no avail on account of whatever the dark-type had done to him. Simultaneously, Haunter began to creep forward with a demon-like expression in order to defend his master and his friends.

"Haunter, go and get—"

"Arcanine, wreck it!" interrupted Kent in a loud, booming voice.

Arcanine wasted no time. Ash's eyes could hardly follow as the elite level canine seemingly vanished, leaving a yellow and black blur before reappearing alongside the charging dark-type.

Arcanine quickly used the full-force of his momentum to tackle the foreign creature with Take Down. The assailant painfully grunted and grimaced as it collided with the ground. The canine managed to stay on top of the Rocket pokemon while it heedlessly skidded across the asphalt. Within the blink of an eye, Arcanine mercilessly finished it off with a vicious Fire Fang, which made growlithe's bite/ember combination look like a playful act of affection.

Despite the unbelievable display, now was not the right time to gawk over Kent's arcanine's unbelievable strength. As Arcanine used its maw to toss the now unconscious, infernal creature to the side, Ash pivoted his attention back over to Austin.

"Austin, are you okay!?" asked the dark-haired boy with a worry filled intonation.

Ash was surprised to find Kent already tending to Austin's wound. He had ripped a decent-sized patch of red cloth from his uniform and begun to tie it around the teenager's cut in order to stop the bleeding.

"I've definitely been better," replied Austin with a grimace, "but I'll survive. Nothing Nurse Joy won't be able to fix. The only thing I'm worried about is the blood loss. I'd rather not pass out and miss seeing Ariana arrested."

Austin's eyes shifted over to Golduck, who had a heart-wrenching look of solemnness and guilt delineated across his face. Simply put, Austin's strong-willed duel-type looked mortified, probably blaming himself for his trainer's injury.

"It's not your fault," reassured Austin. "That was a weavile: a nasty dark and ice-type pokemon from the Johto region. You know better than I do that dark-types can easily break your Light Screen. Type disadvantage isn't always fair, but it's a trainer's job to help their pokemon counter against it. I dropped my guard. If anything, it's my fault."

Golduck diverted his eyes towards the ground and shook his head, clearly not buying his trainer's attempt at reassurance.

"Ah...come on, Golduck," groaned Austin in between grimaces, "It's not that bad. Just a scratch, that's all. Let's just move past it and be more alert of surprise attacks. Life's about lessons, and we just learned one. What do you say?"

Golduck seemed a little more receptive to Austin's current attempt at making him feel better. It appeared as though the duck pokemon responded better to diluting the blame rather than omitting it altogether.

"Dammit," drawled Kent, "if it's anyone's fault it's mine. That weavile was strong, but it wasn't anything special. Arcanine took it out easily. If only I had seen it beforehand. It had to have been using some kind of dark concealment technique. Even Arcanine didn't notice it until the Light Screen had been nullified."

Ash used his hand to stroke in between the spikes on Haunter's corporeal body as Kent continued. The ghost-type needed to be calmed down. The weavile's assault had caused the ghost pokemon's congenital instincts to trigger, resulting in his present barbarous disposition.

Haunter may be more pleasant natured than others of his kind, but he couldn't squelch the entirety of his species' general behavior. It had taken a couple of dire situations for Ash to figure it out, but he had come to the realization that Haunter could be just as nefarious as others of his kind. However, his malicious behavior only came out when Ash was in danger.

"That weavile more than likely belonged to Ariana," said the yellow eyed ACE trainer as Arcanine returned to the group. "If my arcanine didn't have such an advantage, it would have put up more of a fight."

There was a momentary pause in Kent's speech as he looked Austin in the eyes before gesturing forward, "I know it hurts, but are you good to keep going? Sabrina isn't too far ahead; Arcanine's getting antsy."

Ash soothingly beckoned Haunter back into his shadow as he listened to Austin's response.

"I can keep going," replied Austin with an adamant nod. "What do you say Golduck? Can you put up another Light Screen? This time we'll keep an eye out for dark-types. I promise I won't drop my guard again."

Golduck nodded his head with an expression that resembled a smile before patting his trainer on the head using one of his webbed hands.

"Good," answered Austin, with a smile of his own, before holding up his injured arm and shifting his glance between Kent and Ash. "I'm ready whenever you guys are."

Kent smirked before giving a response, "You kids sure are _something_."

A smile formed across Ash's face in response to Kent's comment, although he didn't quite feel worthy of the praise. All he did was stand there as Austin was hurt and Kent took care of the perpetrator. Austin was the one that, in Ash's opinion, was _something_.The chiseled faced teenager had been seriously injured and didn't even hesitate to carry on. Ash could only hope that he could be that brave if he were the one that had been injured instead of Austin.

Ash watched Austin survey his surroundings before speaking up, "Should we help Sabrina's pokemon out before we move forward. The hypno is probably fine, but what about that slowbro? It's having a tough time with that victreebel."

"They'll be fine," replied Kent as Ash watched the Slowbro connect a psychic enshrouded head-butt into Victreebel's body, "Rin will finish off the arbok soon. The slowbro can hold off the victreebel until then. Once Rin defeats the arbok, she'll help out Slowbro. These are Sabrina's pokemon we're talking about. They can handle just about anything Ariana throws at them. It's best we move forward, the real fight is just up ahead."

"Okay…" retorted Austin while grasping his injured arm, "if you say so…"

"Now, let's go," said Kent, "we're wasting time."

Ash and Austin emitted acquiescent grunts before Austin diverted his attention back towards Golduck, "Golduck, Light Screen."

The duck pokemon immediately tapped the jewel on his forehead before raising another translucent barrier. With a heavy squint, you could see a slight purple tint in the encompassing air, but at first glance it appeared to be invisible.

Kent and Arcanine once again led the way as Ash, Austin, and Golduck followed closely behind them. Of course, Haunter was there as well, but he was inside Ash's shadow. If it weren't for the strange sense of comfort Ash got from Haunter's incorporeal presence, he probably would have forgotten that the poltergeist was even there.

As they continued to trudge forward, Ash was able to really soak in the destruction that had been wrought in the area. Buildings were destroyed, cars were crushed, street lights were uprooted, and nearly everything was on fire. Ash wasn't really surprised, pokemon were powerful creatures. And the pokemon that were currently battling were especially strong. Ash was just happy that, so far, he hadn't seen any innocent citizens that were hurt.

Hopefully, everyone had fled the area before any significant damage was done. However, judging by the vastness and severity of the decimated district, Ash had a feeling that he wasn't being realistic. Unless Sabrina had found a way to intervene herself, there had to be casualties. Ash couldn't see how the calamitous setting could exist without having taken the lives of at least some misfortunate people.

The world wasn't that forgiving.

At this point, Ash's lungs were starting to hurt because of all of the smoke, and his eyes were equally as irritated. After looking around, he could tell that Kent and Austin were just as uncomfortable.

Kent didn't show it as much as the boys, but regardless of his intense League training, he couldn't completely suppress the side-effects of being exposed to this much carbon monoxide.

Austin was struggling, but he was hanging in there. The lack of oxygen didn't bode well for someone that had lost as much blood as he had, however, he would endure their current circumstances. Ash had no about it. Besides, if things got really bad, Fearow could just fly him out of the foreboding smog. The avian was a fast flyer and could get Austin to the Pokemon Center in no time if he was in need of treatment…

The sound of the forthcoming chaos was getting louder and louder. The upcoming explosions had completely drowned out the sound of the battles that they had already passed by. It didn't take a genius to figure out that they were approaching the epicenter of the pandemonium. With every step they took, the cacophonous blasts increased in volume until Ash was tempted to cover his ears.

Unfortunately, he couldn't afford to do that. The thick cloud of smoke had already caused considerable disruption to two of his five senses. Blocking out another one, under his own volition, didn't necessarily seem like a good idea.

Ash wished that Golduck's Light Screen would block out the smoky fumes, but the transparent shield didn't work that way. Maybe if it was a minute amount of smoke, but there was simply too much for Golduck to keep out.

Light Screen acted more like a defensive detector than an actual shield. It could nullify elemental attacks in small doses, but it wasn't meant for situations like this. If Golduck used his Light Screen to fend off the smoke, it would just be worn down, leaving them susceptible to more dangerous elemental strikes.

Their only option was to endure. The only way to get rid of this much smoke was with an excessive number of water-type pokemon or an appropriately equipped League firefighting squad. Ash would have Wartortle try and put out some of the encompassing fires, but he was still disoriented from the evolution and was in no condition to be released under their current circumstances.

Ash thought about asking Austin to have Golduck extinguish some of the walls of flame, but the water-type had his hands full maintaining Light Screen. Including the battle back at the Magnet Train station, Golduck had been using Light Screen for well over an hour now. That was a long time to maintain _any _technique, especially one that required a great amount of mental focus.

On account of the fact that Kent had not released his Cloyster, he must have come to the conclusion that it wouldn't really make that much of a difference. The amount of fire and smoke that was violently dancing across the streets of Saffron required a water-type specialist to make a difference.

Wallace would be the perfect person to rescue Saffron's northern district from the perilous fires, but he was probably tending to Mr. Montgomery. Robert was a high-priority to the world that they lived in, and in a situation such as this one, they couldn't afford to leave him under the care of mere ACE trainer trainees.

The smoke would have to be put up with, and the fires would have to wait. The sooner they detained Ariana, the faster the northern district's dreadful conditions could be dealt with. Right now, the capture of Ariana was their top-priority.

After a couple more minutes of traipsing through the scorching, orange and black fog, their eyes widened as they caught sight of the present scene. Ash was aware beforehand that the smoke was probably concealing a large-scale battle, but this was much more than he had expected. It was the definition of chaos. He had never seen anything like it. There weren't even close to as many pokemon as there were in the underground hideout, but in this case, quality greatly outweighed quantity.

The battle was taking place in the middle of a massive four-way intersection. There were several flaming cars scattered amidst the street and two giant traffic lights that had been previously suspended above the roads were grounded and demolished. Utility poles were uprooted, leaving power lines free to wiggle about on the ground spewing up a surplus of electrical currents. The multitude of surrounding buildings were demolished and up in flames.

In short, the sheer amount of devastation was overwhelming.

The exact number of active pokemon occupying the fork junction was easy for Ash to obtain. There were eight elite level pokemon battling upon the asphalt. Sabrina's were easy to track down. All he had to do was look for the psychic pokemon. The fact that three of them were prominent alakazam and one of them was the elegant espeon that he had seen back in the Saffron Gym basement made it rather easy to sort out which pokemon belonged to Sabrina as opposed to Ariana.

Engaged in battle with Sabrina's four stalwart psychic-types were four corrupt creatures that practically oozed vulgarity, one of which literally percolated vileness. Sprawled across the center of the intersection battling against Sabrina's espeon was an absolutely atrocious muk. Its horrible smell could be perceived from the furthest edge of the battlefield, and the mere sight of it made Ash want to wretch up his breakfast.

The disgusting blob of poison sludge was five times the size of one of the grimer that he had seen back at the underground hideout. Due to the fact that muk were actually made up of several melded grimer, Ash guessed that this one consisted of at least four or five.

The dark-haired boy had never done any detailed research on the anatomy of a muk, so he wasn't quite sure how the merging process worked or if the grimer could be separated after. He had never had any interest in training a grimer or muk of his own, thus the only tidbits of information he had gathered involved how to battle against one of the highly toxic creatures.

Of Ariana's four pokemon, two were foreign. Ash recognized one of the two foreign pokemon. It was a Johto native honchkrow, which is a fully evolved dark/flying-type rarely seen in the skies of Kanto. The honchkrow was a decent-sized specimen, but it wasn't even close to matching Pidgeotto or Fearow in terms of height and wingspan.

However, just because it wasn't all that big didn't mean it wasn't a dangerous specimen. The dark blue avian's plumage resembled that of a person wearing formal attire, and it had a large feather crest, resembling a fedora hat, that had spikes extending from the back of it. Honchkrow had circular, red eyes with white sclera and dark blue eyelids. Its yellow beak was curved and looked to be sharp enough to tear through flesh, and its chest was full of prominent white feathers.

The avian's talons were black and razor-sharp. The feathers on the inside of its black wings were crimson red, matching the tips of its primarily black tail feathers. While Ash wasn't quite capable of seeing the full-extent of the muk's malevolence on behalf of its fluidic body, he could clearly decipher the ferocity and ruthlessness depicted across the honchcrow's face. It was a frenetic specimen with an evil core.

It was said that no pokemon were naturally evil, but some species were more susceptible to dark actions. Honchkrow was one of those pokemon, and when trained under the tutelage of a depraved human, they were capable of abominable things.

Under the assumption that Honchkrow had been trained by Ariana herself, its disposition made sense. It was completely corrupt. No amount of League rehabilitation could dilute such a creature's nasty habits of wickedness. All it took was one look to be able to tell that any trace of good was long gone. Honchkrow was a slave to darkness that went far beyond its natural typing. What Ariana had done to it was utterly repulsive.

Honchkrow was engaged in an extremely intense battle with one of Sabrina's alakazam. Ash wasn't sure, but on account of its _shorter _mustache, the dark-haired boy assumed it to be a female. It looked a lot like Yin. However, Ash had no way to know for sure. Yin had disappeared right after she dropped them off at the underground hideout, so it was possible that she could have teleported to Sabrina's aid afterward..."

Ash was able to get a really good look at the other foreign pokemon because it was battling closest to their group. Although, despite the fact that he could see all of the feline pokemon's features, Ash had no idea what it was. It looked extremely exotic. Ash wouldn't say that he was an expert regarding Johto's native pokemon, but the devious looking mammalian pokemon definitely didn't look like it was from anywhere close to Kanto or Johto.

As a matter of fact, if Ash had to take a guess, he would say that the slender, purple feline was from a faraway region like Kalos or Unova. Other than the simple fact that they existed, Ash knew nearly nothing about either region. He'd heard stories that the indigenous pokemon were _very _different, but he had never done the research to actually verify them. Foreign pokemon from other continents were rarely seen in Kanto. Maybe this was one of those cases.

The exotic feline's coat was a gorgeous purple speckled with a multitude of yellow rosettes. Covering its green eyes was a pink mask, which accentuated its evident dark nature. Its nose was pink, and it had two pairs of yellow whiskers that sprouted from both sides of its snout. Its muscular legs and underside were covered in a bright yellow fur, and its long purple tail winded into a sickle-like shape towards the tip.

Overall, Ash had to admit, it was a beautiful pokemon. However, now was not the time to admire foreign species, especially when they belonged to a Team Rocket executive.

The exotic feline was facing off against yet another one of Sabrina's alakazam. This alakazam's mustache was much longer than Yin's, so it was rather evident that it was a male. The two alakazam that were facing off against the honchkrow and the unknown cat pokemon were being pushed to their limits. It was obvious that Sabrina's alakazam were the stronger specimens, but that didn't change the fact that they were at an extreme disadvantage.

Ash knew for a fact that Honchkrow was a dark/flying-type, and after watching the feline pokemon battle for only a couple of seconds, he could tell that it was using techniques that consisted of the dark element. The devious feline was evidently a dark-type in some fashion. Whether it was a pure dark-type or a dual-type, Ash didn't know.

Due to their strange and darkened minds, psychics were incapable of cerebral intrusions against dark-types, which meant that psychic attacks didn't work against any pokemon classified as a dark-type. If it weren't for this truth, Ash had no doubt that Ariana would have been detained by now.

However, Team Rocket was smart. Either they supplied Ariana with a team that could effectively battle Sabrina, or she was selected for this mission on account of her powerful dark-types. Whatever the case may be, Sabrina's greatest strength was being suffocated by the Rocket executive, forcing the psychic virtuoso's pokemon to rely on non-psychic techniques to fend off the dark-types...

Despite the presence of the two foreign dark-types, it seemed as if Sabrina had elected to leave her two alakazam to battle them without her supervision. At least, that is the way it looked. She could be using some kind of omniscient telepathic link to command all of her pokemon at once, but Ash didn't think that even Sabrina was capable of such a feat.

She was still a human after all. And, right now, that human had her back turned to the rest of the battle while she commanded what looked like her strongest alakazam, Kaz, against Ariana and a rather crazed gengar.

"Sabrina needs help!" hollered Ash, trying to be heard over the loud sound of turmoil. "Ariana's pokemon are strong and have the type advantage! No wonder she escaped!"

"I see that!" bellowed Kent, "I wasn't expecting this, but luckily we have yet to be noticed! The situation isn't an emergency! I'll steal the advantage in an instant! Leave it to me!"

"What about us!?" queried Austin in between painful grimaces, "how can we help!?"

"Both of you have bright futures!" howled Kent as he reached for two pokeballs that were clipped to his trainer belt, "but you're not quite ready to battle against pokemon of this caliber! Take this moment to learn! Let Sabrina and I do the work!"

"But—!"Ash managed before Kent quickly interjected.

"No buts, Ash! You're not ready for something like this! The risk is too high! Your pokemon would only get hurt!"

Ash and Austin gulped before the older of the two gave a response, "Dammit, alright, I'll stay out of it!"

Ash was reluctant, but he wasn't foolish enough to argue the orders of a first-class ACE trainer. However, Ash was slightly confused. Why would Kent bring them with him if they were going to do nothing but watch? They'd yet to contribute, so what was the purpose?

"Okay...but if we're not going to help, why did we come with you in the first place!?"

"Because…" drawled Kent as he handled both of his pokeballs, "there was no time to grab any of the other trainees! Besides, this is valuable experience for two young trainers aspiring to be masters! I thought you deserved this opportunity to watch and learn!"

Ash and Austin stood by and watched as Kent ran his fingers through his canine's fur, "Are you ready, Arcanine!?"

Arcanine let out a loud, affirmative grunt that Ash could hear clearly in between encompassing explosions.

"Alright then!" shouted Kent, "after I release Electivire and Scizor help Sabrina's espeon take out the muk! I'm going to use Umbreon to help Sabrina and Alakazam defeat that fiend of a gengar! Do you understand!?"

The evolved canine nodded, confirming his comprehension.

Kent subsequently pressed the release button on both of his pokeballs, resulting in a sudden blast of bright light. In wake of the beaming display, two monsters were unveiled.

One of them was Kent's beastly electivire, who Ash had just seen wreck nearly the entirety of the underground hideout. It stood focused and fresh, ready for the upcoming action. It was rather apparent that if Electivire took any damage during the invasion of the hideout, his brief rest in his pokeball had erased it. Electivire was as good as new.

Just as Kent had said, the other pokemon was a battle hardened scizor. The evolved form of scyther opened and closed both of its big, red pincers, eagerly yearning to tear through the flesh of its forthcoming prey.

Scizor was much more intimidating than its pre-evolved form, and the mere sight of it made Ash deeply desire to train up one of his own. It was the first time Ash had ever seen the steel/bug-type in person, and it definitely lived up to all the hype that Ash had accumulated in his head over the years.

Without ever seeing one up close, scizor had always been Ash's favorite bug-type. Its shimmering, red exoskeleton and fierce, yellow eyes were mesmerizing. And its obsession with battle made its pre-evolution a pokemon that was at the top of Ash's "to catch list."

The bipedal, insectoid pokemon's red exoskeleton was made out of a highly-refined metal, and it had gray, retractable forewings and hind wings with simple, curved venation. Scizor's head was kite shaped with three blunt horns extending above its forehead. Its neck and part of its thorax looked to expose black skin while being surrounded by its exoskeleton. Scizor's abdomen was large with three black, pointed stripes below the waist.

Scizor had broad shoulders and thin segmented arms ending in its large, round pincers. Its legs were defined with large hip joints, thin thighs, and wide calves. Its steel body was strong and durable, but it was evident that Scizor was built for speed rather than raw strength. Ash couldn't wait to see what it could do in live battle.

"Electivire, go knock that Honchkrow out of the sky!" commanded Kent, "Scizor, cut down that purple cat!"

Electivire and Scizor wasted no time as they dashed off towards their selected targets. Electivire moved quickly, discharging blue static as he glided across the cluttered intersection. Even though the electric-type was fast, Scizor moved faster, leaving a plethora of after-images while it shot across the battlefield like a red cannonball.

Ash's eyes couldn't keep up with Scizor, so he didn't bother. Instead, the dark-haired boy watched as Electivire enshrouded himself in a jumpsuit of electricity. The dark avian was busy dealing with Sabrina's female alakazam. It didn't even notice Electivire's presence until he was directly in front of its face.

Before Ariana's honchkrow could react, Electivire unleashed a devastating Thunderbolt. It ripped through the air while creating a cacophonous, atmospheric clap. Honchkrow's red eyes widened as the Thunderbolt approached.

There was no time to dodge. The Honchkrow was struck viciously by Electivire's Thunderbolt. As the thousands of watts of electricity coursed throughout the honchkrow's body, it mindlessly shrieked in pain.

Suddenly, despite the lively action, Ash's attention was persuaded to shift back to Kent when he released another pokemon: Umbreon. At the same time, Ash noticed that at some point Arcanine had taken off and was now helping Espee with the oversized muk. The evolved canine was ruthlessly dousing the blob of poison with Flamethrower while Espee continuously hit it with a powerful, bright purple ray of concentrated psychic energy.

Ash's overwhelmed attention-span zeroed in on solely Kent's inauspicious umbreon as the yellow eyed ACE trainer gave it orders. "Umbreon, follow me! We have to help Sabrina with that gengar!"

Umbreon looked up at its trainer with assertive eyes as Kent said a few choice words to the boys before leaving their side, "Stay here! This will be quick! Don't do anything unnecessary!"

Both boys nodded as Kent swiftly turned around and darted off with Umbreon close by his side.

Ash kept his eyes glued on Kent while the ACE trainer and his umbreon charged ahead toward Sabrina and Ariana. While using his eyes to follow Kent, Ash noticed that the elite level trainer was presently the focal point of everyone's attention. All of the pokemon stared at him, out of the corner of their eyes, as they continued to fend off their corresponding opponents.

Ariana's gengar even managed to throw a dark purple, ghostly sphere – which Ash assumed to be Shadow Ball – at Kent, but it was quickly nullified by Umbreon, who used some kind of pulse made up of black energy to intercept the gengar's long-ranged assault. Gengar's attention was subsequently stolen back by Kaz, who used a Shadow Ball of his own to knock the ghost-type's corporeal form back.

Ash was pretty sure that alakazam couldn't naturally learn Shadow Ball, which meant that Kaz had probably been artificially taught the ghost-type technique with a TM. Sabrina had been training Kaz for more than a decade after all. It had most certainly already mastered its congenital moveset. Nowadays, the majority of his training probably consisted of grasping pertinent TM moves, strengthening and honing its current moveset, and creating signature techniques by fusing two or more natural moves together.

Kent had also managed to procure the attention of Sabrina and Ariana. Ash didn't know exactly when they had noticed the ACE trainer's presence, but he assumed it probably happened at the same time Electivire and Scizor engaged their targets. Ash wouldn't put it past Sabrina to have noticed their presence even prior to their arrival, but the ten-year-old boy had a tough time believing that.

Before Kent's intervention, Sabrina had been preoccupied in a stalemate. Despite her incredible skill-level, her pokemon were still at a disadvantage. Unfortunately, it was one of the biggest drawbacks of specializing in a specific typing. Every once in a while, you came across an opponent that could take advantage of all of your weaknesses.

Ariana had a team consisting of Sabrina's natural bane. The fact that Sabrina was matching Ariana blow for blow just showed how good Sabrina truly was. Pure psychic-types weren't supposed to stand a ghost of a chance against dark-types, especially dark pokemon of this caliber. However, Sabrina's psychics were different. They had been trained to battle under disadvantageous circumstances. Their adeptness in this battle proved that.

Unlike Sabrina, who was hard to read because of her droid-like disposition, Ash could see Ariana's feelings towards Kent's arrival depicted on her face. Regardless of her natural beauty, the woman's attractiveness had dwindled now that she was outwardly showing her true colors. The woman had a devilish scowl where her pleasant smile used to be, and her sparkling, red eyes no longer resembled ruby red jewels, but rather projected an image of Hell itself.

Her face had blotches of black soot from the surrounding battle, and her makeup was a sweaty disaster. Ariana's hair was no longer burnished, albeit frizzy and frayed. The Rocket executive's pristine, white uniform had been tattered and charred, and in the places where her body had been exposed, due to the tears in her attire, scarlet red blood dripped through her uniform.

It was pretty apparent that, compared to Sabrina, the battle had had a bigger physical effect on Ariana. Other than a few rips in her battle attire, and some scuff marks on her face, Sabrina didn't look to have taken any considerable damage. For the most part, she appeared exactly as she did when they split up back at the gym.

As Kent and Umbreon rapidly approached Ariana and Sabrina, Ash's concentration was naturally ripped away when he heard an ear-shattering shriek from across the battlefield. The cry belonged to the exotic purple feline, who was lying on the ground bloody and unconscious. Kent's scizor stood over it with one of its claws hovering over the foreign pokemon's throat. At first glance, Ash was worried that the steel/bug-type was going for the kill. But, then he realized that it was simply subduing it.

Scizor's quick defeat of the feline solidified his theory that it was a dark-type. Dark-types were one of the few types that were extremely vulnerable to a bug-type's strange, alien-like techniques. Much like how the purple feline was using its type-advantage to overwhelm Sabrina's alakazam, Scizor probably used a flurry of powerful bug-type attacks to incapacitate the dark specimen.

Sabrina's alakazam that had been previously facing off against the dark-type acknowledged scizor's victory with a slight nod before vanishing from its position by means of teleportation. Ash was curious to find out where it teleported to, but his curiosity was soon quenched while the dark-haired boy drifted his line of sight back over to Kent and his Umbreon.

The male alakazam took no time to rest. He used Teleport to instantaneously come to the aid of Arcanine and Espee, who were finishing off the gigantic muk. Neither Arcanine nor Espee necessarily needed the help, albeit it would quicken the process.

If muk were a typical poison-type, it would have been defeated a long time ago. Unfortunately, it wasn't. Due to their aqueous body-type's, muk were extremely durable life-forms capable of absorbing a multitude of different physical and elemental attacks.

Muk wasn't able to absorb psychic and fire techniques, though, so it was getting shredded by the current onslaught of attacks. Nevertheless, muk had a lot of stamina, and it took an effective sustained attack to defeat it. Its eventual demise was eminent, although it would probably out last the rest of Ariana's pokemon.

As Ash concentrated back on Kent and Umbreon, he saw that the dark eevee evolution and Kaz had already meshed their battle styles in order to quickly take out Ariana's gengar. Umbreon had enshrouded itself in dark energy, and was using a technique Ash recognized as Feint Attack, in order to accurately deal large chunks of damage to the vulnerable ghost-type. Whereas Kaz was using Umbreon's presence opportunistically in order to hit the gengar with super-effective balls of ghostly energy.

While Umbreon and Kaz took care of the gengar, Sabrina and Kent converged on Ariana in order to make the arrest. Ash didn't know why, but for some reason, Sabrina wasn't using her psychic powers to restrain Ariana. Maybe it had something to do with mental barriers, or it quite possibly could be related to the fact that Sabrina needed Ariana's memories so that she could find out Team Rocket's motive for attempting to steal the Master Ball.

Ash was just guessing...he didn't know for sure. However, whatever the reason was, the dark-haired boy was intrigued. He would have thought that Sabrina would have no problem detaining a non-psychic like Arian—

—"Ash, look out!" screamed Austin with desperation in his voice.

Ash frantically turned around in response to Austin's plea. He anxiously jumped and jerked when he spotted a big feral raticate cantering towards him. In the midst of all of the chaos, Ash had failed to notice its approach. His peripherals also registered that two more raticate were closing in on Austin and Golduck, which made sense as to why Golduck hadn't taken out Ash's assailant on sight.

As the impending raticate leaped forward to strike, Ash's instincts triggered, and he curled his fists into a ball. Team Rocket's pokemon were well known for their mercilessness. The impending raticate was, without a doubt, attacking to kill. However, Ash wouldn't go down without a fight.

A ten-year-old boy hardly stood a chance against a mature raticate, but that didn't matter. There was no way he was just going to close his eyes and allow the rodent to dig into his flesh without some kind of retaliation.

While Ash's adrenaline skyrocketed, and he prepared to connect his adolescent fist into the rodent's maw, he was suddenly reminded why he had been able to stand confidently amongst the disarray in the first place. Almost too fast for Ash to comprehend, Haunter emerged from his shadow.

With murderous eyes and malignant intent, Haunter reacted in an instant, thrusting his black, shining fist at the fully-evolved rodent.

The Sucker Punch sent raticate flying into a nearby building. There was a loud crash as the vehement rat heedlessly triggered the destruction of a large glass windowpane.

Ash's eyes instantly pivoted over to Austin and Golduck, who were still busy fending off one of the raticate with the water-type's Hydro Pump. At this point in time, Ash was able to see Golduck's exhaustion clearly. Holding Light Screen for so long had taken its toll. Stamina-wise, he was definitely on his last leg.

"Haunter, help Golduck finish off that—"

"Don't bother!" interrupted Austin. "Golduck can handle this! Take care of the grunts!"

"Grunts!?" blustered Ash, curiously, with raised eyebrows.

"There are two grunts up ahead!" bellowed Austin as he pointed forward at a tandem of fleeing men in Rocket uniforms. "They're the ones that sent out the raticate! Get 'em before they escape!"

"Gotchya!" bellowed Ash as he pointed forward towards the Rockets. "Go take them down, Haunter! Knock them out! No killing!"

Haunter's slanted eyes flickered between blood red and white as he seemingly tried to get a grip over his congenital thirst for blood.

At this point, there was plenty of proof that his murderous instincts came out when Ash was in danger. But, Ash could tell that his behavior was involuntary. Hopefully, over time, Ash would be able to help Haunter dull his inherent bloodlust.

To Ash's evident dismay, now was not that time. The dark-haired boy gulped as Haunter's eyes settled on red, and the rest of his facial expression depicted depravity.

The ghost-type let out a quick burst of ghoulish, sadistic laughter as he took off in a blur. Haunter left behind a trail of ghostly energy while he closed in on his prey. Ash's heart sank as he witnessed his, typically friendly, poltergeist behaving like an utter fiend. The two grunts abruptly looked back in fear as they felt Haunter's looming form.

Once he was close enough, the crazed ghost pokemon used his shadowy hands to simultaneously grab both of the Rockets by the shirt collars. The two corrupt men let out muffled cries as their bodies jerked back, falling victim to severed momentum's nasty whiplash.

Upon hitting the ground, one of the Rockets was instantly knocked unconscious as his head turbulently smacked against the asphalt. Blood leaked out of the back of his head, forming an ominous red puddle on the blacktop. Ash cringed at the sight. The amount of blood that flowed from the Rocket's head made the ten-year-old boy consider the possibility that he was dead.

The other Rocket lay sprawled on the ground. He had a few scrapes, but he didn't look to bear anything that Ash would consider a serious injury. When the Rocket saw Haunter's malicious eyes stare down at him, he desperately tried to crawl away.

Ash's heart sank even deeper as he saw Haunter raise his hands in preparation for a Night Shade attack. Ash stared ahead shocked as he watched Haunter charge his claws with dark, spectral energy.

"No! Please, don't! I won't resist! Just don't kill me!" begged the Rocket, fear evident in his voice.

"Ash, stop staring like an idiot, and call him off!" bellowed Austin, at the top of his lungs, as Golduck finished off the last of the three raticate. "He's going to kill him!"

Ash snapped back to reality as he tried to reach out with his voice. What came out the first time was a muffled squeak, a result of the smoky atmosphere. However, with a second try, he managed to get his vocal chords to breach through the smoke that had penetrated his lungs.

"No, Haunter, stop! This is wrong!"

As Ash's voice traveled across the street, Haunter abruptly froze. Ash whispered a small prayer under his breath, desperately hoping that he had gotten through. He already had three, maybe four, Rocket's deaths on his conscious. He didn't want anymore.

Ash didn't want Haunter to stain his shadowy hands in blood. The dark-haired boy definitely didn't want his friend to be _that _kind of ghost.

When Haunter suddenly ceased his Night Shade, and the red that filled his eyes faded, Ash unleashed a massive sigh of relief. The dark-haired boy muttered a _thank you_ under his breath as he watched Haunter look around in confusion. It appeared as if his surge of savagery had left him in a state of befuddlement.

With Austin and Golduck following closely behind him, Ash ran over to Haunter, completely disregarding the Rocket that was lying flat on his face having a mental breakdown. He was most likely crazy to begin with, but the near-death experience had sent him into a loophole of mindless rambling.

Ash almost felt sorry for the guy, but right now, his primary focus was Haunter. His pokemon's well-being meant way more to him than the sanity of a Rocket that had tried to kill him. Ash just didn't want his pokemon, or himself, to ever resort to killing. As long as the Rocket was alive, Ash didn't really care what his current condition was.

"Haunter, what happened?" crooned Ash in a soft voice. The explosions had ceased in the background, and all that could be heard was the crepitation of the surrounding flames. "Are you okay?"

The shadowy poltergeist looked at Ash with a disoriented expression, unsure of what his trainer was talking about.

"After you sent that raticate flying, I told you to knockout the grunts," said Ash as he pointed toward the two grunts on the ground.

Golduck was subduing the conscious, crazed grunt while Austin was checking the other grunts vitals.

"You lost control. Luckily, I stopped you. Otherwise, you would have _killed_ both of them."

The apparition looked down at both of the Rockets with curious eyes. Ash thought he saw a look of recognition course throughout Haunter's expression before the ghost-type looked back up at Ash with an extremely guilty countenance.

Despite Haunter's look of guilt, Ash could tell that the ghost-type wasn't surprised by his actions. If Ash had to guess, he would say that Haunter was well aware of his murderous tendencies.

"I know it wasn't what you wanted," said Ash as he patted in between the spikes on Haunter's head, "but we have to get a grip over this. Killing is _never _okay, no matter what. I know you are protective of me, but you can't lose control like that."

A look of contemplation formed across Haunter's face as he looked down at the ground. It was clear that the ghost-type had been severely convicted, which meant that Ash had gotten his point across. He would never give up on his gem of a ghost-type, no matter what, but the League wasn't very forgiving of pokemon that took lives. They were simply labeled as too dangerous and either locked up or put down.

Ash would be lost if that ever happened to any of his pokemon, thus he would do whatever he needed in order to ensure that Haunter and Pidgeotto remained in control, even when Ash, or another member of the team, was in danger.

"You should get some rest," said Ash as he unclipped Haunter's great ball from the extra docking clip that Sabrina had given him after dinner last night. "We'll talk this all through later."

Haunter responded by solemnly nodding his body up and down as he waited for sequester. In return, Ash proceeded to press the button on Haunter's great ball, returning him, before reattaching the upgraded capture device to his belt.

"I think you handled that well," said Austin as he finished wrapping the unconscious Rocket's head in the ripped up piece of cloth that Kent had previously tied around his arm. "These are the risks you face when you train a ghost-type. At least Haunter has a conscious, it'll make dealing with his instincts a lot easier."

Ash unleashed a sigh as he ignored Austin's comments, "That guy's alive, right?"

"I wouldn't be wrapping his wound if he wasn't," retorted Austin as the blood from the deep cut on his arm dripped down to the ground. "He's lost a lot of blood, and he'll have one hell of a concussion, but he's not dead. His breathing is just fine."

"Thank god..." said Ash as he released a sigh, "What should we do with them—"

—"Please don't kill me!" blurted the conscious Rocket as Golduck used Disable to immobilize him from the neck down.

"We're not gonna' freaking kill you, man!" retaliated Austin, annoyed. "Now, shut the hell up!"

The Rocket ceased his idiotic rambling while Austin regathered his thoughts in order to answer Ash.

"Err...I'll stick back and watch 'em while you go see what's going on with Sabrina and Kent," said Austin with glazed eyes. "We can't carry them, and I need to rewrap my arm before I lose any more blood."

It was rather clear that the loss of blood, and all of the smoke, was starting to make Austin delirious. Ash was honestly impressed that he was still conscious. He didn't necessarily feel comfortable leaving Austin alone right now, but then again, he had Golduck. The water/psychic-type would know what to do if Austin's condition plummeted.

"Okay," replied Ash, "I'll go see what's going on and come right back. Once I talk to Sabrina and Kent, we'll get you out of here. You need to see Nurse Joy as soon as possible."

"Sounds good," replied Austin after taking a deep, exhausted breath, "Don't worry about me too much, though. I'll be just fine."

"Alright," said Ash with a smirk as he started to walk back towards the battle zone, "I'm holding you to that."

"That's fine with me," answered Austin in between grimaces. "Don't forget to release one of your pokemon. In this kind of situation, it's always better to be with a friend. You never know when something might jump out at you."

"You're right," said Ash as he reached for Charmander's pokeball, "now focus on getting your arm wrapped up. I'll be right back."

Austin simply waved him off while Ash turned around and headed back toward the intersection. Along the way, he released Charmander, who was ecstatic to see him. Charmander had a few scuff marks here and there and was still a little winded, but for the most part, his time spent in his pokeball had helped him recover from the battle in the underground hideout.

The fire-lizard responded extremely well to their current environment. The charmander line lived in conditions even hotter and smokier than this after all. To Charmander, the present condition of Saffron's northern district probably felt nice, albeit the fire-lizard was clearly able to tell that the situation was, or had been, dire. His serious disposition corresponded to their present circumstances.

Ash and Charmander walked side-by-side, alert, as they weaved around a large burning building in order to get to the site where the battle against Ariana had taken place. The scene was relieving, but also tragic. From what Ash could tell, all of Ariana's pokemon had been defeated by Kent and Sabrina, but regardless of their affiliation with Team Rocket, seeing pokemon beaten-up as badly as they were was nauseating.

Ariana's honchkrow was lying on the ground battered and unconscious. There was a sporadic trickle of electricity that diffused from its body, and a large scorch mark stretched out across the asphalt.

Electivire sat comfortably against a nearby, bent streetlight. One eye was glued on Ash as he walked by while the other stayed planted on Honchkrow. It was rather clear that the dark avian wasn't going to be getting up anytime soon, but Kent had probably ordered Electivire to keep an eye on it just to be safe. The ACE trainer definitely didn't want to be caught off guard by a desperate honchkrow.

Muk was splattered all over the middle of the intersection. Ash may not have been an expert on the species, but he knew enough about pokemon to assume that it was still alive. Muk weren't solid life-forms. Their bodies were entirely made up of sludge, void of any kind of organ system. They were very durable and tough creatures; therefore, Ash assumed that something like this wouldn't kill one.

Of course, he could be wrong. Ash honestly just wanted to believe that Sabrina and Kent's pokemon weren't trained to be _quite_ so merciless. Killing Ariana's pokemon in such a manner wasn't necessary.

The League had more humane ways to take care of pokemon that were too corrupt to be rehabilitated, such as lifelong detainment or lethal injection. Being silenced by dismemberment wasn't exactly a cordial way to take care of a situation like this, even if the pokemon of topic was a bizarre, fluidic creature like muk.

Arcanine was no longer in close proximity to muk, but Espee and one of Sabrina's alakazam were. They stared ahead at muk's charred and scattered body with focused eyes as if they were waiting for something to happen. Maybe they were weary of the muk's body reforming. It seemed like a logical enough explanation. Ash half-expected them to physically acknowledge his presence while he walked by, but then he remembered an important fact: they were psychics. They didn't need to see him with their eyes in order to be aware of his presence.

Kent's scizor still had its claw hovering around the purple feline's throat. Ash could tell that the steel/bug-type desired to kill the dark-type. Its eyes were wild, but there was an odd hint of restraint.

Scizor had the same kind of look that Pidgeotto had when he defeated his opponents and yearned to finish them off. Much like Pidgeotto, the dark-haired boy had a feeling that scizor was a complicated specimen. Its sadistic nature was probably being suppressed by its reverence for its trainer.

Scizor's self-control gave Ash hope. Its desire was right in front of its face. The feline was about as evil as a pokemon could get. The world would probably be better without it. However, going off of the fact that Kent had stopped Pidgeotto from killing the persian and arbok, it was clear that he didn't agree with killing in the name of justice. Scizor's bloodlust was apparent, but it respected the rules of its trainer. One day, Ash hoped that he could teach Pidgeotto and Haunter how to sustain self-control of this level…

Ash and Charmander had to crossover to the other side of the intersection in order to reach Sabrina and Kent, so they had gotten a chance to take in the entirety of their surroundings. On top of the effect that Ariana's decimated team had on them, the aftermath of all of the fighting was just as appalling.

The encompassing fires were raging even more intensely than before, and the smoke was getting thicker and much harder on the lungs. The asphalt that Ash had chosen to walk on was fine, but there were various other parts that were smoldering and some were even melted.

Street lights and traffic lights were not just uprooted, but at some point a few of them had actually been thrown. How or why? Ash had no idea. All he knew was that they were definitely not in their original location. One had even been pierced through the second-story of a proximate apartment building.

Cars were in ruins. A few had actually been crumpled into balls of machinery, probably the result of one of Sabrina's psychics using their telekinetic powers creatively in order to make an effective long-range weapon.

Ash tried his best not to let any of the surrounding calamity bother him too much, but it was hard, especially as horrific memories of the SS _Anne _simultaneously pulsed amongst his thoughts.

Charmander used his tiny claws to latch onto Ash's pant leg, not because he was scared, but rather on behalf of the fact that he wanted to provide Ash with support. All of Ash's pokemon had gotten pretty good at sensing when he was troubled. Charmander was exceptional at this, probably because the little guy had already been through so much personal turmoil within his short life.

The ten-year-old boy had yet to get a clear visual of Sabrina, Kent, and Ariana because the smoke was too thick to see across the entirety of the large intersection. He was able to spot a shadowy obscuration that appeared to be a small group of people accompanied by three other strange figures that he assumed were pokemon.

Ash wasn't able to verify their identities, although he had a tough time imagining that anyone other than Kent, Sabrina, Ariana and their pokemon would choose to be in the thick of all of the destruction.

As he gradually got closer to the blurred figures, he began to pick up the sound of muffled conversation. At first, he couldn't make out anything specific that they were saying. However, he was able to comprehend that two of the voices belonged to Sabrina and Kent.

In addition, there was a third voice that was female and deranged.

At first, Ash didn't recognize it. He assumed it belonged to Ariana, but his memory of Ariana's voice was smooth and sultry. This voice was debased and rough, although it did bear a slight resemblance to the SS _Anne's _beautiful emcee. The more distance Ash covered, though, the clearer the conversation got. It also helped that the discussion seemed to be intensifying. Voices were being raised, and tempers were starting to flare.

"Let me ask you something!" hissed the voice that Ash assumed belonged to Ariana, "how did you become aware of the operation?"

"That's none of your business, trash," replied the disembodied voice of Sabrina while Ash and Charmander continued to draw closer to the scene.

"Let me guess," spat Ariana over the sound of crackling fire, "Robert Montgomery was aware of our pursuit of the Master Ball the entire time! Dammit, I knew this plan wasn't worth the trouble!"

"Like I said," Sabrina scolded in a no-nonsense tone of voice, "You are not welcome to speak until we interrogate you."

"Ah..." drawled Ariana, "but, Sabrina, you don't understand. It's not like an interrogation will do you any good. You won't get anything out of me. My mind is secure. Even a psychic of your level cannot breach my mental barriers."

"Are you sure about that, Ariana?" questioned Sabrina. Her voice was beginning to become clearer. Ash could tell that he and Charmander were getting close. "I'm not sure you comprehend what I am truly capable of. Given time, there has never been a mind that I have not been able to rip information from."

"_Psht, _compared to what I've been exposed to," laughed Ariana in a sadistic manner, "your psychic abilities are child's play!"

"What are you talking about?" Interjected Kent as Ash got close enough to get a visual of the two masters and Ariana. "Sabrina is the strongest human psychic in the world. There is no mental barrier that she cannot penetrate."

Once Ash was close enough, he saw that Kent, Sabrina, Arcanine, Umbreon and Kaz stood over Ariana who was an absolute mess. Physically, she appeared the same as she did earlier. Her makeup had been replaced by a thick layer of soot, and her body was covered in burn marks. Her clothes were tattered, and her hair was all over the place.

The Rocket executive's body had also been, to some degree, disabled. At some point, Sabrina and Kent had set her, now limp, body up against a brick-wall belonging to one of the few buildings that had yet to catch fire. Because of the way her arms and legs lay utterly lifeless, Ash assumed that Sabrina had turned off all of the nerves below her neck.

It was still evident that she was an attractive person, but with her façade dropped, she no longer seemed like the same woman that was once the presumed figurehead of the SS _Anne. _Even though Ash had already accepted it, he was still shocked that Ariana truly was a high-ranking member of Team Rocket. Not just that, but the sheer amount of evil and corruption that was evident within her countenance was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

Just by the way she looked at Sabrina and Kent, Ash could tell that she was evil beyond understanding. Ariana made the other Rockets he had seen look like cuddly teddiursa. The executive had fully engrossed herself in darkness. Her entire existence depicted sin and immorality. He could see it in her devilish eyes. Ash got the creeps just by being around her.

Ariana's eyes lit up with recognition the second she caught sight of Ash and Charmander. Sabrina and Kent turned around to acknowledge Ash. Neither seemed shocked by his arrival, although Kent gave him a curious look. He was probably wondering where Austin was.

"Ha_—_I know you!" blurted Ariana with a deranged smile, "You're that boy that came in third in the SS _Anne_ tournament! Err...what was your name again?"

"Ash Ketchum," replied the dark-haired boy without a hint of hesitation.

Despite Ariana's frightening presence, right now, she was hardly threatening. Her pokemon had been defeated, she had been restrained by Sabrina, and he was under the supervision of two masters.

There was nothing for him to worry about. Ariana had been finished. By the end of the day, she would be locked away. There was no reason for him to conceal his identity. Besides, it's not like Ariana didn't know who he was anyways. She did say that she recognized him after all.

"Ah, yes, Ash Ketchum," replied Ariana with a creepy smile, "That's right, the boy with the promising Pidgeotto. I remember looking at you and thinking, 'damn, it's such a shame that a boy as cute and talented as you has to die,' but it looks like everything worked out in the end. You got off in time. What a relief."

'What a relief!' thought Ash to himself as he tried to think of a response. This woman was absolutely insane. She wasn't just evil, she was disgusting. Her sense of morality was twisted beyond understanding. Was this what Team Rocket was really like? An organization made up people like this?

"What's with the long face?" questioned Ariana with a peculiar, concerned expression. "Oh, I know! You're unhappy with your life! Why don't you join Team Rocket!? We always find a way to have fun, and we can always use new, talented recruit—"

Ariana's mouth involuntarily slammed shut. It was rather obvious that it was a result of Sabrina's ability to control the human body with her psychic powers.

"That's enough!" blurted Sabrina in an edgy tone as she closed her fingers, "I've heard enough for now!"

In concurrence with Sabrina's words, Ariana's upper body dropped heedlessly to the ground. She was no longer conscious. Her mind had been sent into a forced coma on account of Sabrina's rage.

"Are you okay, Ash?" asked Sabrina.

"Yeah," replied the ten-year-old boy as he felt Charmander brush up against his leg, "I'm fine."

"Dammit," cursed Kent under his breath, "that woman's a freaking psychopath. Are you sure you're alright, Ash?"

"Yeah, I think so," replied Ash as he used his shirt to wipe the sweat from his eyes.

"Good," answered Kent, "Now, where's Austin? We need to get out of here. We've been exposed to these conditions for too long. Ariana's interrogation can wait until later. Let's go get Austin. All of us need a trip to see Nurse Joy ASAP."

Ash nodded his head as he tried to make sense of the situation. Everything was happening so fast. He was having a tough time keeping up with all of it. But, then again, maybe that was because of all of the toxins from the smoke. His mind definitely wasn't as sharp as usual.

"I'll show you the way," replied Ash shakily. "Austin's not far."

XXX

A couple of days had gone by since they had captured Ariana and thwarted Team Rocket's plan to steal the Master Ball. Ash had spent those days at the Pokemon Center, where he along with Austin, Kent and Sabrina had been getting treatment from Nurse Joy in the hospital wing.

Although none of them had legitimate carbon monoxide poisoning, it was necessary for them to get a few days of oxygen therapy in order to get their breathing back to normal. Considering how long they had been exposed to the nasty conditions of Saffron City's decimated northern district, Nurse Joy stated that it was a miracle that none of them were in a more critical condition.

The only one of them that wasn't ready to be discharged was Austin, who had lost a severe amount of blood after being cut by Ariana's weavile. Saffron City's Nurse Joy had treated Austin's laceration with a regenerative potion, which reminded Ash of his favorite Joy. She had used the same concoction on the second-degree burn he had gotten from accidentally touching Charmander's tail-flame.

Much like Ash's burn, Austin's wound had healed almost instantaneously upon contact with the regenerative potion. Ash hadn't actually been allowed to be in the room with him when it was applied, apparently Nurse Joy had rules prohibiting it, but Austin had shared the painful experience with him afterwards.

Ash didn't really need to be told, though. He remembered the pain from when his burn had been healed. It was short, but nearly unbearable. It definitely wasn't an occurrence that Ash wanted to repeat anytime soon.

Regardless of the fact that Austin's wound had been healed, he had still lost a ridiculous amount of blood, which was the only thing keeping him from getting released from the hospital wing.

Nurse Joy and her staff had performed a blood transfusion immediately after the wound had been healed, and they were now keeping him under their surveillance to make sure that he didn't have any kind of adverse effect to the donor's blood. It seemed like standard protocol for the most part. Austin didn't look to be having any negative effects, so Ash was sure that they would let him out at least by the end of the week.

At this point, there was really no need to be worried about Austin. When they had first arrived at the Pokemon Center, by means of Kaz's Teleportation, everyone was tense because of the wound's severity and the need to find a compatible donor for the blood transfusion.

Fortunately, modern medicine could work miracles, and the hospital had compatible blood stored away. Ever since the blood transfusion, Austin had been just fine. As a matter of fact, the teen was actually in rather high-spirits because of how _badass_ his new scar was.

Regenerative potions could quicken the healing process, by nearly a hundred-fold, but they couldn't eliminate any scarring that would have taken place in subsequence to the body's natural recovery process. Simply put, Austin now had a dark, jagged scar that occupied most of his right arm. Ash had to admit, it was cool looking. It definitely put the slight discoloration on his right hand to shame.

Outside of Austin, everyone else had already made a full recovery. Sabrina and Kent were discharged yesterday. Nurse Joy had healed all of their first-degree burns with low doses of burn heal, and after nearly twenty-four hours straight of wearing rebreather masks, their breathing had gone back to normal.

Ash had just recently been discharged about an hour ago. After getting his minor burns healed, he required nearly forty-eight hours of oxygen therapy. Nurse Joy hadn't fully explained why he had to have twice as much oxygen therapy as Sabrina and Kent, but he figured it had something to do with how much bigger and mature the adults' lungs were.

Whatever the case, Ash didn't really mind the time spent in the hospital wing. Even though he didn't necessarily like the vibe of his boring, colorless hospital room, he did get to rest quite a bit, which was something he was in dire need of. Ever since the SS _Anne, _sleep had been like a foreign concept to the ten-year-old boy. He felt like he slept more the past couple days, in the Pokemon Center, than he had throughout his entire journey.

He hadn't been allowed to leave the Pokemon Center, so any time he felt the need to train, Nurse Joy would stop him. Essentially, he had been forced to get rest, which was exactly what he needed. It helped take some of the pressure off of his compulsive urge to train his pokemon.

When he first found out that he would have to stay at the Pokemon Center, Ash was worried because he thought that he wouldn't be able to spend time with his pokemon until he had fully healed. His apprehension was quickly subdued, when Nurse Joy allowed some of his friends that had been healed by Nurse Joy's restoration machine to rest with him in the rather large, but boring, hospital room.

Charmander and Clefairy had been with him ever since he had started his oxygen therapy. Nurse Joy had run their pokeballs through the restoration machine when they had first arrived, and they were immediately allowed to join him in the hospital room. The majority of the damage that they had taken during the mission was healed simply by the idle time spent in their pokeballs. Any remaining injuries were completely taken care of by the restoration machine.

Nurse Joy had zero qualms about Clefairy's presence in the hospital room, but she was a little bit weary about Charmander because of his tail-flame. However, Ash promised her that Charmander would be extra careful not to get close to anything flammable. The flooring was tile, so he didn't have to worry about catching that on fire. Ash made sure that the fire-lizard didn't venture near any of the medical equipment or anything made out of cloth. Saffron's Nurse Joy seemed to be a sucker for friendship between pokemon and their trainers, so she eventually agreed.

Haunter had also been with him ever since he had been admitted into the hospital wing, although he didn't think Nurse Joy knew this. The ghost-type hadn't taken any damage during the mission, so he didn't need to see Nurse Joy as a patient. Ash decided that the best plan of action was to allow Haunter to dwell within his shadow while he stayed at the Pokemon Center.

The general public wasn't too keen on ghosts, and although Nurse Joy probably had to treat one every once in a while, they were rare enough to surprise someone even as knowledgeable about pokemon as her.

For the most part, Haunter spent the last couple days hiding within Ash's shadow during the day and coming out at night. Ash had used his time in the hospital wing to help Haunter understand the severity of killing. It would be hard to make any progress with his ghost-type's flaws until he was able to train again. Haunter's murderous switch was only flipped when Ash was in danger, and right now, there was no way to simulate that.

Ash hoped that his talks with Haunter were helping, but he had a feeling that they weren't. Haunter's typical personality was good-natured and humorous. Ninety-five percent of the time, Haunter was incapable of excessive savagery. The Haunter Ash needed to deal with was the one that came out when he was in danger. It acted on an entirely different set of morals.

Ash theorized that when Haunter's eyes turned red, his personality completely morphed. His kind and impish self blacked-out, allowing the murderous fiend inside of him to surface. Ash needed to find a way to help Haunter get a grip over his alternate personality, but he wasn't willing to tackle that obstacle until he left Saffron after his gym battle with Sabrina. Ash needed to be in a place of seclusion, with all of his pokemon's support, before he faced that demon. Until then, quality time with his friend was the only therapy he could think of.

Growlithe and Ivysaur had been permitted to join him as of yesterday. They were pretty exhausted from the mission and needed some extra treatment from Nurse Joy in order to get them healthy. Both were still slightly sore, but by the time Ash left Saffron, they would be more than ready to battle and train again. Neither would be involved in his gym battle against Sabrina, so there was no need to push them.

He may have Ivysaur work on Razor Leaf while Clefairy and Haunter were getting trained by Sabrina to put up mental barriers, but that was about as much as he would allow Ivysaur to do. Growlithe, on the other hand, would be completely out of commission until they left. The pup was still trying to get the hang of Reversal, and the fighting technique was way too physically taxing for Growlithe to practice until he had recovered completely.

Growlithe definitely wouldn't be happy about his lack of activity, but he would have to get over it. The pup was still young after all. Ash didn't want to push him too hard. Rest was an important part of the training process, and Growlithe definitely needed it after his strong effort against Team Rocket.

The only two pokemon that Ash hadn't been able to see much of over the last few days were Pidgeotto and Wartortle.

He wasn't able to spend any time with Pidgeotto for obvious reasons: the avian was too big to stay with him in the hospital room. Not just that, but Ash didn't really trust him not to break anything. The last thing Ash wanted was to have to spend all of his earnings from the SS _Anne _tournament on replacing some expensive medical apparatus.

He trusted Pidgeotto with his life. However, destroying things was the avian's greatest skill. Squeezing the giant avian into a room full of equipment, worth tens of thousands of dollars, didn't really sound like a smart idea.

The reasoning behind Wartortle's absence was due to his new evolution. Nurse Joy had volunteered to do a check-up on Wartortle to make sure that no complications had occurred throughout the evolutionary process. According to Nurse Joy, she hadn't found any problems thus far. However, they still hadn't finished doing all of the tests. Hopefully, all of the testing would be finished soon.

Apparently, Wartortle was beginning to give the medical staff trouble. He was reluctant to get checked up on in the first place. Ash had seen him for a short while, right after he had been treated with Nurse Joy's restoration machine, and the turtle pokemon was not very happy. Ash was the only human that Wartortle trusted after all. There was no way that he was going to allow a stranger to do tests on him under his own volition.

The only reason Wartortle eventually agreed to do the tests was because Ash had talked him into it and even with Ash's persuasion, it had been a difficult task to get the stony-faced turtle pokemon to oblige. It wasn't until Ash had explained that a thorough check-up would help hasten his time away from training that Wartortle finally gave in.

Now, after two days of tests, Wartortle was once again giving the medical staff a hard time. He was over all of the rudimentary physical tests and mental examinations. Ash figured that Wartortle would probably be mad at him for a couple of days once the tests were over, but Ash didn't really care. As long as Wartortle was healthy, the ten-year-old boy was okay with a few days of his water-type's expressionless anger.

In some ways, all of the news about how difficult Wartortle was being actually relieved Ash. He had been worried that Wartortle's emotions would deteriorate even more after evolution, but apparently those were just misguided fears. Wartortle hadn't changed a bit, which put a smile on Ash's face. No matter how difficult Wartortle's personality could be, it was always pleasant when a small bit of emotion breached his hardened disposition. Those were some of Ash's favorite moments.

Even though Ash loved getting a chance to rest and spend time with some of his pokemon, the highlights of his time at the Pokemon Center were the few times that Wallace, Robert, and Bill visited him.

The first time that they came to the Pokemon Center, they were forced to visit Ash, Austin, Sabrina and Kent separately. It was only a couple hours after they had arrived at the Center, and they were all prohibited to leave their rooms because of the extensive, initial round of oxygen therapy.

So, unfortunately, there was no way for everyone to meet at the same time. Instead, Ash had been visited personally by the trio of famous adults, which actually made him feel slightly special.

He was just a ten-year-old kid after all. The fact that three of the most famous people in the world had come to check on his wellbeing meant a lot.

Ash felt a bit overwhelmed when they first entered the room. Wallace was extremely worried. He questioned Nurse Joy, who had accompanied them into the room, about nearly every little thing involving Ash's treatment. It wasn't until Nurse Joy told him that he would make a full recovery in less than forty-eight hours that Wallace finally relaxed a little bit.

Ash had already been under the impression that Wallace was protective over him. Some people might disagree on behalf of the fact that Wallace allowed Ash to partake in the entirety of the mission. However, Wallace had made that decision because of his personal beliefs concerning trainers in general.

They did not live in a world for the weak. If they did, children would not be allowed to leave home at the age of ten.

Any kid that was brave enough to go out on their own journey was capable of making their own decisions. It's not like they weren't informed of the dangers that could take place while they traveled the world, and it's not as if League distributors gave out a starter to any kid that turned ten. A child had to qualify, and Ash was one of those kids that had made the cut.

He had made his own choice to help save Robert, and Wallace had respected that. If the decision was based off of feelings, Ash assumed that Wallace wouldn't have allowed Ash to take part in anything.

In just a short amount of time, Ash had become Wallace's friend, and friends were supposed to protect each other. The dark-haired boy had a feeling that Wallace had exposed Ash to a difficult situation, under appropriate supervision, so that he would know how to handle tough circumstances on his own.

Wallace was aware of the fact that Ash was traveling alone, and the ten-year-old boy had already procured quite the knack for getting himself caught in crazy circumstance. The Champion had used this opportunity to help Ash learn how to react under a high amount of pressure, and it had worked. Ever since the capture of Ariana, he had felt more confident than ever.

Wallace may have put him in danger, but he had also helped him learn how to overcome dangerous obstacles in the future. For that reason, Ash was thankful for what the Champion had done for him. In the past week, he had learned and matured a lot. Hopefully, his newfound sense of courage translated to his pokemon as well...

Although Wallace was intensely worried, compared to Bill his composure was serene. The pokemon researcher came into the room an utter crying mess. Between being reunited with his father, and seeing Ash with a rebreather mask on, Bill was full to the brim with all kinds of conflicting emotions.

Ash had always known Bill as a dramatic person, so he wasn't necessarily surprised. Howbeit, he'd never seen a grown man cry so much in his life. It was kind of hard to bear. The famous researcher was almost impossible to understand on account of his sporadic, trembling voice. Not to mention the fact that Bill didn't know where to unload all of his emotions. He bounced back and forth between Ash and Robert like a hyperactive pichu as he discharged a flurry of uncontrollable feelings.

It wasn't until Robert had finally beckoned him to calm down that Bill stopped running around the room like an over-emotional teenage girl.

Speaking of Robert, Ash couldn't even begin to explain how relieving it was to see the CEO of Silph Co. safe and sound. Not only was Robert one of the most important people in the world, but he was also the final product of a successful mission.

They had stopped Team Rocket from acquiring a capture device that would further their twisted plot of evil. They may not have been sure what their reasoning was, but it was clear that Team Rocket had a purpose for their attempt at stealing the Master Ball. Once Sabrina was healthy enough to interrogate Ariana, more answers would be unveiled. However, for now, just seeing Robert in one piece was an accomplishment in and of itself. His safety was a monumental victory.

Ash wasn't just happy to see that Robert was physically okay, but he was also thrilled to find out that Team Rocket hadn't managed to do any noticeable damage to his psyche. Robert was in as high of spirits as ever and didn't seem to have been phased in the slightest by the chaos that had occurred over the past couple of days.

The ten-year-old boy was aware that the CEO of Silph Co. was probably putting up a strong facade. There was no way that he hadn't been affected by the kidnapping at least a little bit. Nevertheless, the fact that he was able to put one up at all, in Ash's opinion, meant that he would be just fine.

Robert Montgomery would overcome any kind of trauma that he had accumulated over the past week. He was a strong man. The only way that Team Rocket was going to do him in was if they killed him.

Even though Ash loved seeing Robert, the old man's disposition portrayed that he was even more excited than Ash. From the moment he stepped through the door, he showered Ash with all kinds of heartfelt thanks.

The famous CEO even went as far as to say that he had a reward waiting for Ash at Silph Co. headquarters. Ash had no idea what it could possibly be, but he couldn't wait to find out. Apparently, Austin was getting a reward for his courage as well, so as soon as the teenage boy got discharged from the Pokemon Center's hospital wing, they would be making a trip over to headquarters in order to pick up their gifts.

Throughout their first visit, there was no talk about Team Rocket and Ariana. Ash tried to bring it up a couple of times, but each time Wallace quickly diverted the conversation. It was pretty clear that Wallace wanted to avoid talking about such matters at the time. He probably didn't want Ash to worry about anything too arduous for the rest of the day. In Wallace's mind, the ten-year-old boy had probably already been through enough.

It wasn't until yesterday that they finally discussed some of the details concerning the aftermath of the operation. At this point, the most intense part of the oxygen therapy treatment was over, so everyone was finally able to gather in the same room.

They chose to meet in Austin's room because he was the worse for wear. It had been less than twenty-four hours since he had his blood transfusion, and although he could move, it probably wasn't the best idea for him to be overly active.

Nurse Joy was able to hook Ash up to a mobile treatment machine, so he was able to get his oxygen therapy while he was in Austin's room. He felt kind of strange walking around with a rebreather mask, but if he took it off he would have to stay in the hospital wing even longer, and he definitely didn't want that.

At this point in time, Sabrina and Kent had already been discharged from the hospital wing, so there wasn't anything restricting them from moving about as they wished. It was nice being able to see everyone in the same room, especially after having been involved in such a perilous mission.

The first thing that they had discussed throughout the oddly located meeting was what had taken place on both teams' ends during the mission. Wallace was the first to share as he recounted the events that had unfolded at the warehouse.

Right off the bat, Wallace had explained that the warehouse was unexpectedly housing an entire base full of grunts. They had originally thought that Ariana's group would be small, but that wasn't the case. Going off of what Wallace said, Ash didn't think that there were quite as many grunts at the warehouse as there were in the underground hideout. Howbeit, there were definitely more than expected.

Ash didn't know exactly how many pokemon Wallace and Sabrina used to take down the base, but as Wallace told the story, he continuously referenced three pokemon: Swampert, a gyarados, and a pokemon called Milotic, which Ash was unfamiliar with. However, by the way that Wallace talked about this so called Milotic, Ash guessed that it was one of the Champion's strongest pokemon.

Every once in a while Sabrina would interrupt in order to explain things from her point of view. The pokemon that she mentioned were three of her alakazam: Kaz, Yin, and Yang, Yin's brother. More than likely, these three alakazam were the same alakazam that Sabrina used during her battle against Ariana, which unveiled the identity of the male alakazam that had faced off against Ariana's foreign feline.

With the help of the ten trainees that accompanied them to the warehouse, they easily wiped out all of the grunts. However, during that time, Ariana used all of the chaos as a distraction and escaped. Wallace explained that his initial reaction was to drop what he was doing and chase after her, but then he realized that she had left Robert behind—tied up and blindfolded. Since one of the main objectives was to recover Robert, Wallace was forced to stay behind as Ariana fled via a stupidly fast motorcycle.

Ash was surprised that Ariana had left Robert behind. After the lengths at which they had gone in order to capture him, it didn't make any sense that she would let go of him so easily. The only explanation that the dark-haired boy could come up with was that the preservation of Ariana's knowledge of Team Rocket's plan was more important than the acquisition of the Master Ball. She must have prioritized her escape over the retainment of Robert Montgomery. If that was the case, whatever was locked within her mental barriers was obviously extremely pivotal to Team Rocket.

Wallace proceeded to explain that once Robert's safety had been confirmed, Sabrina used her empathetic clairvoyance to track down and teleport to Ariana's location.

At this point in time, Sabrina interjected in order to briefly explain to them what had happened at the beginning stages of the battle in Saffron's northern district.

According to Sabrina, Kent, Ash and Austin had showed up not too long after the battle began. Sabrina told them that at the start of the battle she was taken by surprise by all of Ariana's dark-types. She wasn't able to read Ariana's mind to find out what pokemon she had, so she was hit hard by the full extent of the type disadvantage.

Sabrina admitted that she was relieved when Kent showed up. Ash had a tough time believing that Sabrina wouldn't have defeated Ariana in the end. Nevertheless, if they hadn't shown up when they did, the battle definitely would have been drawn out a lot longer and the repercussions could have ended up being way worse.

Once Kent's name was mentioned by Sabrina, the first-class ACE trainer took that as his cue to share what had happened next from his point of view. Kent gave a brief summary of what had occurred at the underground hideout before picking up where Sabrina left off. He explained that while he sent out his arcanine, electivire, scizor and umbreon, he asked the boys to stay behind and watch.

Ash thought he could sense a slight hint of guilt in Kent's intonation as he talked about leaving the boys behind, probably because of the fact that they got ambushed by a couple of grunts.

Ash didn't quite understand why Kent felt bad about it. It's not like anything bad happened to them, albeit Haunter's murderous outburst.

Anyways, Kent elucidated the rest of the events that had unfolded, up until their brief stab at interrogating Ariana, before Sabrina got frustrated and knocked her out. Throughout the end of Kent's recollection, Bill continuously pestered him about what had happened to Ash and Austin while he was taking on Ariana's pokemon. That's when Kent gave Ash an opportunity to share what had happened from his point of view.

Ash told them about how the Rockets had attacked them, but left out the part about Haunter's barbarous episode. He watered down the story and shared with them that Haunter and Golduck merely took out the raticate before incapacitating both of the grunts. Ash gave Austin a look that portrayed for him to go along with his fabrication, and Austin instantly obliged.

Ash could also tell that Sabrina was aware of what had really happened. She depicted a subtle hint of curiosity when Ash's story strayed from the truth, but elected not to say anything. When it came to things like this, Sabrina understood. She probably deduced Ash's reasoning and confirmed it as logical. Ash just didn't want Wallace and Bill to worry about Haunter's presence on his team and didn't want Kent to be aware of Haunter's internal demon.

It was highly unlikely that they would do something right now in regard to his ghost-type's infernal shift in behavior, but Ash sincerely doubted that Haunter's abominable freak-outs would go away anytime soon. Until they finally resolved this issue, Haunter would be looked at as a liability to anyone that didn't truly know him. Wallace and Bill were protective of Ash. Who knows how they would handle Haunter if they found out that he had an alter ego that was capable of murder?

Once Ash had finished explaining what had happened, while he and Austin were separated from Kent, his mentioning of the two Rocket grunts that Haunter had disabled sparked Sabrina to bring up a new topic of discussion.

When Kaz had teleported Sabrina, Kent, Ash and Ariana over to Austin's location prior to teleporting them to the Pokemon Center, they had taken the two Rocket grunts with them. Ash didn't think too much about it at the time because of how disoriented he was, but almost immediately after they arrived at the Pokemon Center, Kaz, Sabrina and the three unconscious Rockets vanished.

It wasn't until Ash had finally come to his senses after a couple hours of oxygen therapy that he actually took the time to theorize about what Sabrina had done with them. His initial thought was that she teleported them to the Saffron City Police Department, but it didn't take long for Ash to discard that idea.

There was no way that Sabrina would hand over Ariana to the League before she got a chance to examine the executive's mind under her own terms. No. More than likely, Sabrina would take Ariana to a place of seclusion, where she could interrogate her at her own pace.

Although the number of casualties was minuscule, Ariana's presence in Saffron City had caused a massive amount of destruction, and nothing meant more to Sabrina than _her _city. Sabrina wanted to know what Team Rocket wanted with the Master Ball before she allowed Ariana to be dealt with by the law.

The twisted Rocket executive had caused too much damage to Saffron and had kidnapped probably the most important person in Sabrina's life: Robert Montgomery. There was no way Sabrina would mindlessly hand over Ariana on account of the League, the gym leader wasn't that selfless.

Taking all of this into account, Ash was almost certain that he knew the location of Ariana and the two grunts. Sabrina had most likely taken Ariana to the cell where the Rocket with the deranged mind was being held, within the Saffron Gym's basement.

Ash had a feeling that Sabrina not only took Ariana there for interrogation, but she also wanted to perversely fulfill the fragmented Rocket's wish to see Ariana. That Rocket had pissed Sabrina off with his mindless babbling about killing everyone important to her. Sabrina had already lost her parents; her emotions weren't stable enough to handle words like that in a placid manner.

Ash suspected that Sabrina wanted to destroy that deranged Rocket's sense of reality by throwing his erroneous _goddess _in the same cell that he resided in. Sabrina might have a soft spot for those that she cares about, but Ash could tell that the opposite was true for those that opposed her.

He had seen the ferocity that could breach through her expressionless countenance when she was mad. It reminded him of his Haunter. It was like there was a demon pushing up against Sabrina's conscious psyche just waiting to get loose, and when it did, it would go absolutely crazy, until everything that threatened her was bereft of life.

Ash's hypothesis was at least partially confirmed when Sabrina explained that she had Ariana and the two grunts detained underneath the Saffron Gym. Ash had a feeling that everyone else, other than Austin and him, already knew this.

All but Kent simply nodded.

Although Kent didn't say anything, Ash could tell that he was frustrated. He was a first-class ACE trainer after all—a man that had devoted his life to taking care of the League's dirty work. Kent likely didn't agree with the fact that Sabrina was holding onto Ariana for the time being, however, there was nothing Kent could do about it. If it weren't for Sabrina, and the rest of the people in this room, Kanto would be in a lot of trouble.

Simply put, Kent didn't have the right to disagree with Sabrina's judgment. Everyone here had covered the League's ass. The League had failed to handle things on their own; Team Rocket had bested Kanto's government. It was the Champion of another region, a gym leader acting on her own accord, a famous pokemon researcher, and a couple of kids that had thwarted Team Rocket's plan.

The League had become lax while Team Rocket had gone into hiding. That was likely to change. Champion Lance couldn't just sit back idly after the SS _Anne's _destruction, Robert Montgomery's kidnapping, and the devastation that had come to pass in Saffron City. The people would demand that something be done, and Lance would be expected to get off of his throne, at the Indigo Plateau, in order to put a stop to all of the chaos that had taken place over the past week.

Ariana was just an executive, Team Rocket wouldn't go away until they were decimated in full. Hopefully, Sabrina was able to dig out their true goal when she was healthy enough to examine Ariana's mind. Until then, there was nothing they could do but remain alert.

Once Sabrina finished explaining that she would be investigating Ariana's mind as soon as her psychic powers had fully recovered, the conversation shifted into a discussion concerning everyone's individual, forthcoming plans.

Wallace started the new conversation off by telling everyone that he would only be staying In Saffron for a couple more days. The Champion had to get back to his home region. He had spent way too much time getting involved with Kanto affairs and needed to get back to Hoenn.

However, despite his need to get home, he didn't plan on leaving Saffron's northern districts up in flames.

Apparently, the water-type specialist had spent the past few days having his pokemon work on putting out the fires. He had the help of the Saffron City Fire Department, but they weren't nearly as adroit as Wallace. He did have some of the strongest water pokemon in the world at his disposal after all.

So far, they had eliminated any immediate threats of the raging fires spreading into other districts or the northern routes outside of city limits. Nevertheless, a good chunk of Saffron City's upper terrain was still up in flame, and the city could definitely use a Champion's help.

Wallace did say that Champion Lance had contacted the League officials in Saffron and had offered to send out Gym Leader Misty, in addition to the other Waterflower girls, to help deal with the fires. But, Wallace told him that it wasn't necessary. The foreign Champion didn't have a problem with staying to finish the job.

Besides, Ash had a feeling that Wallace wanted to stay and make sure that Ash and Austin were okay. They had become good friends, and Wallace probably wasn't comfortable leaving them while they were in the hospital.

Ash definitely didn't have any qualms about it. He would miss Wallace, the Champion had become one of his best friends. The longer Wallace could stay the better. It would be ideal if Wallace would be able to watch his gym battle, but Ash doubted that would happen.

The dark-haired boy still had to teach his pokemon how to put up mental barriers, and that would probably take more than a couple days. By the time he was prepared to battle Sabrina, Wallace would most likely be gone.

Ash would still be keeping in frequent contact with Wallace via his xtranceiver, however, he had no idea when he would able to see him in person again. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too long. Wallace did have to govern a foreign region, therefore, there were no guarantees.

Sabrina was the second to share. Other than a few details about how she needed to go over the missing persons' list and damage costs with Robert, as well as some of the other League officials that were stationed in Saffron, the information Sabrina shared was a lot less depressing than Wallace's impending departure.

Sabrina would be spending the next couple of days resting at the gym. She had exerted a lot of her psychic power during the mission, and she needed to lay low for a little bit in order for it to replenish. She planned on doing so while teaching Ash how to put mental barriers over his pokemons' minds.

Her pokemon could perform all of the external psychic exposure, so there would be no need for her to use her power. As long as she didn't have to delve into her psychic abilities, she would be able to get all of the rest she needed in order to properly dissect Ariana's mental barrier.

The psychic virtuoso also explained that she wanted to help Ash's pokemon acquire the mental barriers as fast as possible. She knew that he wanted to resume his travels and understood that he couldn't do that until she gave him a gym battle. Sabrina wanted to repay Ash for all of the care that he had shown Robert and her, and she knew that giving him her near undivided attention, over the next couple of days, was the best gift that she could give him.

Ash didn't have any qualms about it. He couldn't wait to get back to training.

Once Sabrina was done sharing her plans, Kent spoke up.

According to the first-class ACE trainer, his next few days were going to be busy. Kent was under direct orders from the commander of the ACE Corps to stay in Saffron City for the next week, or so, in order to clear up the mess that Team Rocket had made.

He would be interrogating some of the grunts that they had detained after the mission – particularly the ranked Rocket – on account of the fact that the League believed he was the highest ranking captured member of Team Rocket's forces. The League had yet to become aware of Ariana's presence within Saffron. Kent, as well as the trainees, had promised to keep their mouths shut unless the League started to get suspicious.

None of them felt comfortable lying to the League, and Ash couldn't blame them. Withholding information was difficult enough. They were supposed to be the dogs of the League, willing to do all of the dirty work. Holding a secret from the very thing that they were sworn to protect sounded torturous.

However, it was the best course of action. Sabrina needed to be able to use her methods at her own pace in order to successfully rip Team Rockets plans from Ariana's brain. Kent was fully aware of this fact, which was why he was willing to go to such lengths to allow Sabrina to have her way.

Apparently, Kent's interrogations would begin as soon as two more high-ranking members of the ACE Corps arrived in Saffron. Ash didn't know if they were first-class ACE trainers like Kent, but Ash assumed that they were strong. After seeing how powerful a mere trainee was, anyone that could assume the role of an ACE trainer had to be skilled.

Because Kent would be busy attending to League duties for the next week, he made it known that chances are he wouldn't be seeing any of them anytime soon. Ash understood, but that didn't change the fact that he was a little sad. In just a few days, he had grown to like Kent. Hopefully, their paths would cross again…

Later today, Robert would be returning to Silph Co. headquarters so that he could address his company. During their meeting, Robert had tried to elucidate his company's current status. Due to obvious circumstances over the past week, Silph Co. had been operating under the impression that their CEO was dead. After the SS _Anne_ catastrophe, Margaret Montgomery, Robert Montgomery's wife, assumed the role as interim CEO.

Robert explained that if he were to actually have died, Margaret would have ran the company until Bill decided that he wanted to leave the lighthouse and take on his father's legacy. When Robert mentioned this, Bill cringed, so Ash could tell that there was a lot of discomfort regarding this topic.

Anyways, immediately after Robert's rescue, he had informed his wife that he was still alive. Ash sort of wished that he could have been there for that scene; he was a sucker for that sort of thing. Besides, Bill most certainly had been there. Knowing his friend's tendency to be over emotional, it without a doubt had to be entertaining. Watching Bill's exaggerated displays was one of Ash's favorite things in the world. It was just way too amusing.

Other than Margaret, only a few high-ranking Silph Co. employees had been made aware of Robert's survival. Margaret Montgomery had ordered a press-conference that was to be broadcasted worldwide, which would be taking place later today. Robert seemed to think that it was a little much, but his wife insisted. According to Robert, Margaret Montgomery was the most dramatic out of the bunch.

Ash had a tough time believing that anyone could be more dramatic than Bill, but then again, his unusual behavior had to have come from somewhere.

Nevertheless, regardless of how they planned on making the announcement, Ash knew for a fact that the world would break out into a momentous celebration. Before Robert Montgomery's supposed death, he had been one of the world's most adored people. As soon as everyone knew that he was alive, not only would he be looked at as a charitable visionary, but he would also be seen as a hero.

Not only had Mr. Montgomery survived the SS _Anne_, but he had also endured a kidnapping devised by Team Rocket. His strength and perseverance had proven to be just as strong as his empire was gracious. He was a billionaire that people could actually look up to. Robert had already been practically worshipped by the world's populace, and that reputation would only grow.

The more Ash thought about it the more he felt bad for Bill. His friend had a lot to live up to. It was situations like this that made Ash kind of relieved that he didn't know much about his father. High expectations from others had the potential to forge a person's destiny, especially the expectations of a father-like figure.

Of course, deep down inside, Ash wished that he knew his father. However, at least he didn't have the pressure of living up to someone like Robert. He could become whoever he wanted to be without the nuisance of having someone constantly breathing down his neck. Then again, maybe thoughts like that were just his way of coping with the fact that his dad had never been around.

Anyhow, the pressure that followed having a father like Robert Montgomery was just something that Bill would have to deal with. He would be fine. Despite Bill's melodramatic personality, he was a strong man. If anyone could live up to Robert Montgomery, it was Bill.

Speaking of Bill, once Robert had finished explaining his upcoming agenda, Bill proceeded with his own.

Bill planned on sticking around Saffron for a little bit in order to help out his father. Robert had all kinds of obligations and delegations to take care of so that he could maintain good relations with a plethora of his business partners.

The pokemon researcher wanted to help Robert with some of his forthcoming duties. It was the least he could do. His father had been through a lot, and he wanted to be there to help.

Besides, it's not like Bill didn't have the time. The pokemon researcher's only present responsibility involved observing and examining Dragonite back at the lighthouse. Although Dragonite was a high priority to Bill, he could wait for a couple more days. The massive genetic phenomenon wasn't going anywhere.

Another reason that Bill wanted to stay was for Ash. He planned on volleying his time back and forth between Silph Co. headquarters and the Saffron Gym. Bill wanted to be able to provide Ash with company while he was training with Sabrina. Austin would be in the hospital, Wallace would be tending to the fires, and Kent would be busy with League matters. Bill didn't feel comfortable leaving his friend alone with Sabrina for that long.

Bill also explained that he wanted to hang around and see Ash's gym battle. He didn't think he would get another opportunity to see Ash battle before the League conference. Now would be the perfect time for him to see his friend battle in person. It was also worth noting that Bill was most likely yearning for Sabrina's defeat.

Over the past week, it had become vividly clear that Sabrina and Bill didn't get along. Their unusual animosity towards each other had only grown since Robert had been rescued. Bill wasn't joking when he said that Robert considered Sabrina a daughter. The CEO of Silph Co. treated Sabrina like she was just as big of a priority as Bill, maybe even more so. She was the apple of his eye—the daughter he had never had, and it pissed Bill off.

Bill wanted Sabrina to lose to Ash desperately. The dark-haired boy could tell. Although he didn't want to win for the same reasons, Ash couldn't wait to battle Sabrina for a chance at the Marsh Badge. It had been a long time coming.

After Bill finished talking about watching Ash's gym battle, nearly everyone else blurted out their apologies for not being able to attend.

Austin was bound to the Pokemon Center's hospital wing, for at least two more days, and that was only if everything went perfectly. Nurse Joy estimated that he would be in the hospital for two to four more days. That would give his body enough time to adapt to the foreign blood that was now coursing throughout his veins. So, even before he had gotten an apology from his recovering friend, Ash was well aware that he most likely wouldn't be able to come.

Of course, Kent wouldn't be able to make it, which didn't surprise Ash in the least bit. And Robert probably wouldn't be attending due to everything that he had to take care of over the next week. Ash hadn't been expecting Wallace to be able to come, which was still up in the air, but he was desperately hoping that the foreign Champion would be able to find the time to show up.

Ash knew that Wallace had a ton of obligations to take care of in Hoenn, but that didn't change the fact that they had been through a lot together over the past week. No matter how many times Ash rationally thought about Wallace not being there, it still upset him. Austin was already being forced to miss the match. It wasn't fair that Wallace was as well. But, then again, life wasn't fair. So, how disappointed could Ash actually get before he had to admit to himself that his expectations were too high?

Ash accepted everyone's apologies and explained that it wasn't that big of a deal, although it was a slightly bigger deal than he was making it out to be. He then went on to explain his plans beyond his gym battle with Sabrina. Everyone knew that he would be training with her over the next few days, so there was no need to go into detail about it. How Sabrina chose to train Ash was up to her.

The ten-year-old boy shared that as soon as his gym battle was over, and he and Austin had visited Silph Co. headquarters in order to tour the building and to pick up their rewards, he planned on traveling to Celadon City.

Celadon was only about a week's walk west, and although there weren't too many wild pokemon that interested Ash indigenous to the area, it was said that some wild abra and kadabra roamed in between Kanto's two biggest cities. Ash was in need of a psychic-type, and ever since he had seen the kadabra aboard the SS _Anne_, the species had garnered his interest.

Sabrina's powerful specimens only heightened his desire to train one of his own, although chances of that were still low. Abra and kadabra weren't common pokemon by any means, and their ability to read minds and teleport made them excruciatingly difficult to catch. This gave him all the more reason to let Haunter travel in his shadow during the trip. The poltergeist's Mean Look would be essential if Ash wanted to capture a psi pokemon.

Another thing about the trip to Celadon that really excited Ash was the fact that there was said to be a lot of powerful trainers that could be found trekking between Celadon and Saffron. Route 7 was a long and busy route that was frequently used not only by trainers looking to battle, but also merchants.

Located in Celadon was the famous Celadon Department Store: the largest shopping center in all of Kanto. It put the average pokemart to shame and was labeled as a place that all pokemon trainers had to visit at least once while they were traveling through Kanto. Due to the department store's presence, all of Celadon's encompassing routes were packed with traveling merchants looking to sell their goods to one of Celadon's many buyers.

Ash couldn't wait to visit the Celadon Department Store. One of the reasons that he had spent such a minimal amount of money during his journey was in anticipation for Celadon. He planned on getting his friends all kinds of TMs and rare items that could boost their already potent potential.

However, despite all of the fun and self-betterment that a trip to Celadon offered him, his main reason for visiting Celadon was the gym leader, Erika Mori. Erika was well known as one of the weakest gym leaders in Kanto and served as Ash's best option to pick up his fourth badge.

After his battle against Sabrina, the gloves would be coming off in regard to his gym battles. No longer would gym leaders be required to use a specified team, and no longer would they have to compromise their strength. Some of the more powerful gym leaders might still decide to do so, but there was no guarantee.

Erika was a good up and coming gym leader, but she was by no means a prodigy like Misty Waterflower or Brock Slate. Erika would hopefully be a good warmup for some of the more formidable gym leaders, such as Koga and Giovanni.

Moreover, Ash would have a good matchup against Erika. She was a grass-type specialist, which meant that he had a lot of pokemon with type advantage. Ash wasn't quite sure how many pokemon Erika typically used for battles with more than three badges, but most gym leaders used three or four.

If it ended up being a three-on-three battle, Ash would use Growlithe, Charmander and Pidgeotto. All three of them would have a significant type advantage, and Charmander had yet to compete in a gym battle. Ash wanted to give him the opportunity to prove his strength against Erika. Growlithe and Pidgeotto were no brainers. They had the advantage and were some of his most experienced pokemon.

If the battle ended up being a four-on-four, he would probably use Ivysaur. The typing would be neutral, and Wartortle would be at an extreme disadvantage. He could use Haunter or Clefairy, but they were battling in the gym battle against Sabrina, and he would like to give some of his other pokemon an opportunity.

Anyways, once Ash had finished explaining his plans to go to Celadon, he received a surplus of comments from just about everyone in the room. None were negative, almost everyone seemed to think that Celadon was a good, rational choice.

The only, somewhat, negative response came from Wallace, who warned Ash not to underestimate Erika.

His argument was that, although she was young and inexperienced, she was still a gym leader. Gym leader's were expected to be strong and had to oversee whichever city that they were appointed to. In terms of sheer size, Celadon was the biggest city in Kanto. If Erika managed to become the gym leader of such a prodigious city, she couldn't be that bad.

Ash agreed with Wallace, but also thought that he was telling him to be a bit overcautious, probably because Wallace was a water-type specialist. Water was weak to grass, which is probably what was causing Wallace to speak so circumspectly.

When everyone in the room finished chiming in to give their two cents, Austin coughed to grab their attention.

It took a few moments for everyone to quiet down, but eventually they all ceased their chatter in order to hear what Austin had to say.

Austin refrained from any talk involving his time in the hospital. Everyone knew that he would be there for a few more days, and Ash figured he probably didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Like Ash, he shared his plans for after Saffron.

After Ash and Austin's upcoming trip to Silph Co. headquarters, Austin planned on flying Fearow back to Johto. Austin had a journey to resume, and he no longer could afford to hang around Kanto.

Ash would have been worried about Austin during the flight over to Johto, but he had seen Fearow fly. Austin's fearow was a master at manipulating air currents. It wasn't like flying on Pidgeotto, where he had to hold on for dear life while battling the atmosphere's turbulent wind.

Once Austin got back to Johto, he planned on taking on the region's gym circuit. Judging by Austin's team, he couldn't have been in Johto for too long before the SS Anne. As far as Ash knew, Austin didn't have any pokemon native to Johto, albeit Meganium, who was actually his starter.

He might have a badge or two, but Ash didn't really know for sure. He had never asked, but he guessed that Austin didn't have any. Knowing Austin, he would have most likely bragged about them if he did.

It didn't take too long for Austin to finish sharing his plans, and once he was done, they all chatted for a little bit longer before everyone went their separate ways.

Ash wasn't quite sure what everyone else did after the meeting, but he spent the rest of yesterday in bed relaxing with his pokemon. The meeting hadn't been too long. However, he was still trying to recover from the conditions of Saffron's northern district.

One more day of rest had proven to be the perfect cure for Ash's exhaustion. Now, he and Growlithe were standing in front of the Pokemon Center's front desk waiting for Nurse Joy to finish retrieving Wartortle's pokeball. He had already received the rest of his friends' capture devices at various points throughout the last couple of days.

As Saffron's Nurse Joy swung open the doors to the hospital wing, there was a subtle smirk that appeared across her face. It was a look that depicted amusement. Ash and his friends had put the Pokemon Center through a lot over the past couple of days, and she had handled it extremely well. Ash liked her, although not nearly as much as the Joy that had saved Charmander.

"Your Wartortle's just fine, Ash," said Nurse Joy as she shook her head in bewilderment. "There were no hiccups in the evolution, and he's definitely adjusted well to his new body. Of course, the squirtle to wartortle transformation isn't necessarily a difficult one. Things will be a lot different if he ever evolves into a blastoise, but still, he has adapted better than most."

"Good," said Ash as he reached out to grab Wartortle's pokeball. "Did his behavior ever get any better?"

"Nope," replied Nurse Joy with a shrug while handing the pokeball over to Ash, "but I assume you've got a good handle on him. He wasn't awful, although it's pretty apparent that he only listens to you. The only way we could get him to do any of the tests was if we mentioned that it was what you wanted."

The dark-haired boy smiled at that. It seemed as though he hadn't lost Wartortle's respect amidst the evolution after all. "Yeah, things weren't always that way, though. It took me longer than I would have liked to get him to listen to me."

"I bet," said Nurse Joy. "Once you get them under control, though, pokemon like that are usually some of the most enjoyable personalities to train. I'm sure you guys will have fun together."

Ash's smile stretched even further while he clipped Wartortle's pokeball to his belt.

"Anyways…" drawled Nurse Joy, "All of your paperwork has been processed. You're good to go. I believe Sabrina said something about heading to her gym as soon as you're discharged. Am I correct?"

"Yeah," said Ash as he adjusted the straps on his backpack before fixing his cap, "I'm heading over there right now."

Nurse Joy nodded her head while another smirk formed across her pretty face, "Good luck."

A simple _good luck _wouldn't have been strange, but the way Nurse Joy said it sent a deep tingle down Ash's spine. It was the kind of feeling that you got when you knew something arduous was in your near future.

"The gym battle is not for a few days," answered Ash with a gulp, "today's just training."

"I know, and like I said," retorted Nurse Joy in the same odd intonation, "_good luck_. You're going to need it."

"Err…thanks, I guess," groaned Ash as he started to back away from the front desk.

"Bye, Ash," said Nurse Joy with a smile and a wave. "Have fun. Don't forget to see me before the gym battle. I'm sure you're pokemon are going to need the rest after what Sabrina has in store for them."

"Bye, Nurse Joy," stammered Ash as he turned around and headed straight for the door.

As soon as he exited Saffron's oversized Pokemon Center, Ash lowered his line of sight to Growlithe who was looking up at him with concerned eyes. "Dammit, buddy. What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

Growlithe simply shook his head, clearly just as worried as Ash.

The ten-year-old boy took a big breath before releasing a heavy sigh. He had a feeling that Sabrina had more planned for him than he had originally expected.

XXX

Unfortunately, it took Ash and Growlithe nearly four hours to get to the Saffron Gym. Along the way, the dark-haired boy half-expected Sabrina to teleport to his location, but then he remembered that Sabrina was currently resting her powers.

Several times, during his expedition across the city, Ash thought about calling one of his other friends that were in Saffron for a ride. However, he ultimately decided not to bother them. They were busy, and he could use the exercise. It was good for him after being cooped up in a hospital room for so long.

By the time he finally reached the gym, he was out of breath and exhausted. He would be just fine, but he could definitely still feel the after-effects of the ample dose of carbon monoxide. Nurse Joy had warned him that his respiratory system would be weak for a few days, so he wasn't shocked.

Even though it was arduous, there were parts of the tiresome trip that he enjoyed. Hee got to see a lot of the sections of Saffron that he hadn't previously been to. Before today, Ash had seen all of Saffron's northern and southern districts. During the walk over to the gym, he finally got an opportunity to experience almost everything else, most notably Saffron's busy central districts.

The core of Saffron was so much different than the rest of the city. It was bustling and wild—full to the brim with all sorts of activities. There were hundreds of shops, thousands upon thousands of preoccupied people, and the buildings were all massive in size and scope. Life in Central Saffron was the perfect example of what most people stereotyped the _city life_ to look like.

Despite all of the entertaining people and intriguing shops, by far the coolest thing Ash experienced was getting up close to Silph Co. headquarters. He didn't go in or anything like that; he wanted to wait until Robert's tour, but it was still an awe-inspiring sight. The skyscraper was absolutely gargantuan, and Ash nearly strained his neck when he tried to look straight up its imposing face.

Ash couldn't wait to go inside after Austin got discharged from the Pokemon Center. The thought of possibly getting to go to the top made the ten-year-old boy giddy. He wasn't exactly in love with heights, but flying atop Pidgeotto had dampened any fears that would have previously caused reluctance. Going to the top of Silph Co. headquarters wasn't typically allowed by the Montgomery's; there were way too many risks involving potential terrorist attacks.

However, it was rumored that the view was amazing for those few that got the chance. Hopefully, Ash's growing relationship with the family would make him one of those lucky exceptions.

Other than Silph Co. headquarters' staggering immensity, Ash's favorite thing about Central Saffron was the tantalizing scents coming from all of the districts various hole in the wall restaurants. The food at the Pokemon Center was alright, but it was nothing in comparison to the food that he smelt as he walked amidst the heart of the city.

He thought about stopping to eat several times, but there were just way too many choices. By the time he finally came to a decision, he was almost at the gym. He figured Sabrina would have something for him to scarf down, so he chose not to spend the money. He'd be leaving for Celadon in a few days, and his money would be better spent on travel supplies.

Even though there were a lot of things that he loved, there were also some things that Ash didn't care for about his expedition through Saffron's most active districts.

Throughout his journey, Ash had started to get used to the concept of large crowds of people, but this was over the top. Central Saffron was ridiculously congested.

In some of the busiest areas, it was hard for Ash to even walk without bumping into somebody. He was constantly rubbing shoulders with people, and Growlithe was starting to get anxious in the midst of the sea of people.

Despite the fact that Growlithe's social anxiety had almost completely diminished, Central Saffron was not a comfortable environment for the pup. Growlithe was on edge, constantly darting his eyes back and forth due to the many noises and emotional scents.

Ash thought about returning him, however, he elected not to. Central Saffron was the ultimate test for Growlithe. If he could persevere through it than he could handle being around just about any number of people. Essentially, it was his final round of Exposure Therapy.

Another thing that Ash didn't enjoy was the random outbursts of fear that some of the citizens displayed. He had been told back at the Pokemon Center that there was a very short missing persons' list. Most of the fires in the northern districts had been cleared up, and there was only a slight haze of smoke drifting throughout the air in Saffron's core.

Most of the people were relatively calm about what had happened the other day. Ash assumed that the majority of the chaotic aftermath had been taken care of while he was at the Pokemon Center. However, every once in a while there would be a random breakdown or panic attack that took place in the middle of the streets.

It made sense, there had been a big battle in the city a couple of days ago. Nevertheless, it kind of left Ash unsettled. The concept of peoples' loved ones losing lives and citizens living in fear didn't bode well for Ash's mind. It made him hate Team Rocket even more.

Be that as it may, he kept his head up and continued to walk.

There had been some rocky moments, but eventually they made their way through the crowd and to the gym.

Now, Ash stood in front of the familiar Saffron Gym, with sore legs and an exhausted Growlithe, as he tried to calm down his wild breathing.

To the northwest was an ominous, orange glow that could be seen over the horizon, blanketed in a cloud of murky smoke. It belonged to the site of the fires that were still raging in Saffron's northernmost territory.

Ash assumed that Wallace was probably over there right now working to put out the fires. The Champion most likely had his band of powerful water-types exhausting their internal water reservoirs in order to squelch the widespread flames.

It was a nudge up against Ash's pant leg from an anxious Growlithe that got Ash to focus his line of sight back on the gym.

Between being teleported directly from the Pokemon Center into the gym's interior or rushing to leave before the mission, Ash hadn't really gotten a chance to examine the Saffron Gym's exterior appearance until now.

It was a very bizarre looking building. From what Ash could tell, its primary structural shape was that of a dome. It was large in expanse, and its walls were painted a serene indigo blue that matched the building's interior tile. In the center of the dome were two large arching doors. They were made out of some sort of fine, silver alloy that shimmered as Ash stood in front of the building.

What made the building standout, though, was the extensive, violet roof that seemingly swallowed the dome shaped structure. It waved across the top half of the building before jetting outside of the main structure's breadth and plummeting into the ground, creating what appeared to be several pointed pillars.

The Saffron Gym's overall image gave off an extraterrestrial-like feel. Its abstract design didn't look like anything that a human would construct.

Once Ash had taken in the outlandish exterior of the gym, he made his way over to the front door. Due to all of the chaos that had ensued over the past couple of days, there were no impending challengers like there were at the Vermillion Gym.

Then again, the reason for the long line to battle Surge was the prize: the SS _Anne_ ticket. Gyms weren't usually that congested, although they tended to get busier as the League tournament neared.

As expected, when Ash got close, the double doors instantly opened and receded into the walls. Unless the being trying to open them was a machamp, or something else with otherworldly strength, doors made out of such a heavy substance couldn't be moved manually.

He thought about the possibility that the doors had been opened psychically, but that would probably get old for whoever had been issued the rudimentary task. More than likely, the double doors opened and closed using some kind of automated system.

As Ash entered the Saffron gym, he quickly discarded his current train of thought. Leave it to him to waste time mulling over how a door worked. Good thing Sabrina couldn't use her telekinetic powers right now. Otherwise, she probably would have judged his thought patterns as trivial.

The Saffron Gym didn't have a lobby like other gyms. On the other side of the front door was a long, eerie hallway. It wasn't eerie in the same way that the Pokemon Tower had been back in Lavender Town. What made it strange was the odd lack of décor, or anything else for that matter, that existed throughout the corridor.

The vibes that he got from the Saffron Gym's lengthy entryway didn't surprise Ash, though. As a matter of fact, he didn't expect anything else. It's not like it contradicted the rest of the gym that Ash had previously gotten a chance to see. The entirety of the Saffron Gym had the same uncanny feeling. It was only heightened because, this time, Ash and Growlithe weren't with Wallace, Austin and Bill.

It was just Ash, Growlithe, and the sound of their footsteps as they passed by the several grey pillars that cascaded from the roof into the indigo shaded tile. It didn't take long for them to get to the end of the hallway, where it opened up into the gym's vast, torch lit arena.

In the center of the marked arena sat Sabrina, depicting a countenance that was utterly poised. She sat cross-legged as her eyes were closed. It was rather clear that she was entranced in a deep meditation.

The closer Ash got the more uncomfortable he felt. The dark-haired boy wasn't quite sure what to do. He didn't want to interrupt Sabrina's meditation. It just didn't sound like a good idea. Normally, he would have expected Sabrina to sense that he was coming, but her present lack of psychic power made him hesitant.

"Hello, Ash Ketchum," articulated Sabrina, moving nothing but her jaw to speak. "What took you so long? I figured you would have gotten here a long time ago. Nurse Joy called the gym saying that you had left hours ago. You must have walked, am I correct?"

Ash let out a sudden sigh of relief the second Sabrina spoke up. Since she had been the first to initiate interaction, he no longer had to worry about how to garner her attention. She must have heard him as he walked down the hall. Going off of the fact that she had to think about the means of which he had arrived at the gym proved that she was still resting her psionic prowess.

"Yeah, I walked," replied Ash as he closed the distance between himself and the fair-skinned beauty," Wallace is busy putting out the fires, and Bill is with his dad. I didn't want to bother anyone for a ride."

"You could have taken a taxi," answered Sabrina as she opened her distant pink eyes, "they don't cost that much in Saffron."

"Ah, that's okay," said Ash with a wave of his hand, although he was kind of upset that he hadn't thought of that before, "I needed the exercise. Besides, Growlithe and I got a chance to see all of Central Saffron."

"Oh, I see," retorted Sabrina with a blank face. "How did you like Central? It's a bit overcrowded in my opinion, but there are a lot of marvelous things to see. Did you get a good look at Silph Co. headquarters?"

Although Sabrina didn't show it with her emotions, he had spent enough time around her to know that she would if she could. Her love for Saffron was evident in the way that she diligently asked questions about it. It was clear that Ash's opinion of Saffron meant something to her. It was times like this where Sabrina seemed like just another person, going about her life in a very _human_ way.

"I liked it a lot," said Ash with a grin. "The people were a bit overwhelming, but other than that it was awesome. Getting up close to Silph Co. headquarters was amazing. I can't wait to go inside and see it for myself."

A rare smile formed on Sabrina's face before she answered, "Ah, yes, Robert's taking you and Austin Turner on a tour at the end of the week. He's really excited about it. I spoke to him this morning, and all he talked about was giving you two your gifts. You would never guess that today is the day of his worldwide press conference."

Ash let out a chuckle in response to Sabrina's comment before carrying on the conversation, "He's definitely an interesting guy, that's for sure. By the way, what time is the press conference, again?"

"Tonight at seven," retorted Sabrina as she slowly stood up from her spot on the ground.

As Sabrina stood up, he was able to get a good look at her attire. She was wearing an outfit that was similar to the one that she wore the first time that Ash met her. She had on a lavender spaghetti strap tank-top that showed her slender midriff, and black skinny jeans. Sabrina wore tennis shoes that coordinated with her tank-top, and fastened around her waist was her prototypical fully loaded trainer belt.

"As a matter of fact, I will be attending it," added Sabrina.

Ash's entire face lifted as a thought phased through his mind. "Can I come?"

"I do not believe that would be wise," answered Sabrina as she ran her fingers through her blowout styled hair.

"…Why?" questioned the ten-year-old boy with a furrowed brow and a frown.

"Because you would procure too much attention," said Sabrina in a monotonous intonation, "trainers your age aren't invited to events such as this one. All of Saffron's League officials will be there, and it is going to be broadcasted worldwide. I love Robert, but he can be compulsive. He doesn't think before he acts. If you were there, there's a possibility that he would do something stupid like introduce you to the world as one of his rescuers."

She paused.

"If he were to pull a stunt like that, you would instantly become a target of Team Rocket. Right now, they don't know who you are. Ariana may know that you helped thwart Team Rocket's plan, but she isn't in any position to report to her boss that a couple of kids have played a major role in stopping them. The last thing you want is for Team Rocket to become suspicious of you. It would throw a wrench in your plans to have any resemblance of a normal journey."

Ash gulped. He hadn't thought of that. "Err…you're probably right. I think I'd rather stay here."

"That's what I thought," retorted Sabrina. "Anyways, you look hungry. How about I have my cook make you a late lunch before we start our training?

While talking to Sabrina, he had nearly forgotten how hungry he was. As the idea of food percolated within his mind, his stomach put forth a sound that was oddly similar to an angry ursaring.

Sabrina simply shook her head. Ash wasn't sure, but he thought he could see a slight hint of amusement in her eyes.

"I take that as a yes," said Sabrina before walking towards the hallway that led to the kitchen. "Follow me."

Ash let out a brief giggle before he looked down at Growlithe, who glanced up at him with genial eyes, "Come on, buddy. It's time to eat."

Growlithe replied with a jubilant yip.

XXX

After a bowl of macaroni and cheese, courtesy of Sabrina's personal chef, Ash and Growlithe found themselves, once again, standing in the center of the Saffron Gym's arena. Sabrina stood opposite of him as she detached two great balls from her fully loaded trainer belt.

"Let's not waste any time," said Sabrina with a blank expression. "Release Haunter and Clefairy, we will begin the external psychic exposure momentarily."

Ash nodded his head, although he was slightly taken back by Sabrina's forwardness. He proceeded to unclip Haunter's great ball and Clefairy's pokeball before simultaneously pressing both release buttons.

The indisputable sound of multiple pokeball releases rang out amidst the empty arena as two bright flashes of light blended together. They coexisted for a brief moment before abruptly vanishing into oblivion, revealing the alert forms of Haunter and Clefairy.

Ash's two friends' eyes darted back and forth, and they instantly put up their guards in anticipation for battle. As soon as they caught sight of Sabrina, without any of her pokemon, they relaxed. They knew why they were here. Back at the Pokemon Center, Ash had told them that they would be training with Sabrina in order to learn how to put up mental barriers.

"It's time to train guys," said Ash. "Do you remember what I told you? We will be learning how to defend against psychics today."

Clefairy and Haunter nodded their heads in order to indicate that they understood their current predicament.

"It looks like they're ready," said Sabrina with a nod as she prepared to release whatever pokemon were in her great balls. "I am going to release my two oldest alakazam, Kaz and Midna. Do not be alarmed, they will not harm you."

Ash watched attentively as a bright light filled the arena. When it finally faded, two absurdly powerful alakazam stood in its wake.

One of them Ash recognized right off the bat. It was Kaz. His long, aged mustache made him clearly distinguishable. The wise, old psi pokemon looked at Ash with vacant eyes, albeit Ash could see a sliver of recognition. The dark-haired boy simultaneously mused about the eventual challenge of training a psychic pokemon. It would be fun trying to figure out what they were thinking.

This was the first time Ash had ever seen the other alakazam. The alakazam known as Midna looked acutely similar to Yin. Judging by the fact that Midna was female, and Sabrina's second strongest alakazam, the ten-year-old boy assumed that she was Kaz's mate. Therefore, the uncanny resemblance to Yin made sense, since Midna would thus be her mother.

Midna looked at Ash with a curious expression. She was slightly easier to read than Kaz. Although her facial expression remained fixed, like most psychic pokemon, her eyes were very telling. Ash could easily decipher that she was intrigued by him.

After staring at Ash for a few seconds, Midna brought her gaze over to Haunter, Clefairy and Growlithe, who she scanned over just as attentively. On account of the fact that her eyes remained widened and dilated, they appeared to be just as interested in Ash's pokemon as they were him.

"Midna senses your potential," said Sabrina matter-of-factly. "She is my most savvy alakazam. While Kaz is my best battler, Midna is by far my most knowledgeable pokemon. She is an expert of the mind and is very adroit when it comes to performing meticulous psychic feats. She will be the one to perform the external psychic exposure."

In response to Sabrina's words, Midna gave Ash a slight bow. It was rather clear that she was also Sabrina's most sociable alakazam, albeit that really wasn't saying much. In the brief amount of time that Ash had spent around Kaz, Yin and Yang, it was pretty clear that they were very robotic in regard to their emotions, much like their trainer.

Ash reacted to Midna's courteous bow with a simple smile and wave as a question reverberated throughout his psyche. "Wait, if Midna is going to be performing the external psychic exposure, why did you release Kaz as well?"

"Kaz is just here to be with Midna," replied Sabrina. "Because of all of the chaos, they haven't been able to spend a lot of time together. I presume that you have already put together the fact that Kaz and Midna are mates, right? Typically, they are almost inseparable. However, as of late, we haven't had the luxury of downtime. So, I thought it would be nice to give them this time to coincide together."

"Got it," said Ash as he dropped his gaze toward an anxious Haunter and Clefairy. "Anyways, I think they're ready. Can we begin?"

"Yes," answered the fair-skinned gym leader as she also focused her line of sight on Haunter and Clefairy. "However, before we begin, I would like to explain exactly what it is that we will be doing. Even though external psychic exposure isn't an overly complicated process, building a solid mental barrier takes a lot of concentration."

"What do you mean?" asked Ash with a curious expression.

"Essentially, Midna will be using small waves of the technique, Psychic, to directly infiltrate Haunter and Clefairy's minds. She will not strike. She will merely invade and linger. Most of the time, when a psychic pokemon attacks, they do so quickly and efficiently. It is not wise for a psychic to attack with long, drawn out techniques unless they are absolutely certain that their power greatly exceeds their opponents' mental defenses."

"Why?" questioned Ash.

"Because the more a pokemon is exposed to psychic power," retorted Sabrina with vacant eyes, "the less vulnerable they are to it. Basically, the reason why external psychic exposure is such an efficient way to put up mental barriers is because, when done correctly, it is a safe and controlled way to help a pokemon that doesn't bear any kind of affiliation with the psychic typing to gain experience in regard to subconsciously recognizing and repelling psychic incursions."

"You're losing me," said Ash with a befuddled expression, "Can you explain that in simpler terms?"

Sabrina released a sigh as she took a moment to think of a suitable way to get her point across. "Okay, think of your mind like any other part of the body. Without being pushed in a particular way, our bodies' various parts will eventually become feeble and weak. Your body doesn't just naturally develop to be in good shape. Even with the best of genes, you have to condition it. You have to provide it with healthy sustenance. You need to expose it to things that will help it grow correctly."

She habitually ran her fingers through her hair as she paused.

"In this regard, the mind is no different than any other muscle in your body. Without proper conditioning, it is as susceptible to mental assailments as a newborn grass-type is to a wildfire. A non-psychic must learn how to strengthen their mental fortitude and resolve to a point where your mind actually begins to manifest a cognitive shield around what it wants to protect."

"A shield, but how is that possible? Where does it come from?" questioned Ash with a look of bewilderment.

"The mind is a complex thing that we will never be able to fully understand. I do not know the full details pertaining why or how the brain is capable of this. All I can tell you is what I've been able to observe."

"And that is?" queried Ash with an interested intonation.

"The brain is extremely adaptable, and the intricacy that is involved with allowing pokemon and humans to do even the most rudimentary of tasks is absolutely astonishing. The brain is the foundation of everything us humans and pokemon do. Everything starts in the mind: our thoughts, our personalities, our senses, our movements, without the brain and all of its functions none of these things would be possible," said Sabrina with a slight hint of conviction in her voice.

Ash looked down and was surprised to see that Growlithe, Haunter and Clefairy were listening attentively. Apparently, they were just as entranced by what Sabrina was saying as he was, maybe even more so.

"To stretch this concept even further," said Sabrina, "the mind of a pokemon is capable of learning and managing a plethora of absurdly complex techniques. Their brains are even more flexible and adaptable than ours, allowing them to learn moves that exist outside of their natural typing and skill set."

A bit of excitement flashed in Sabrina's eyes as she continued.

"How is it that, with the help of a TM, an alakazam can learn Charge Beam without an internal electrical conductor? A TM doesn't provide a pokemon with anything more than information, so how is it that both Kaz and Midna can use a technique that transcends their biological skill set? Can you come up with an answer, Ash?"

Ash looked at Sabrina with disoriented eyes and a confused expression. "N-no, I can't. I honestly have no idea."

"I didn't expect you to," answered Sabrina. "This is a very complex theory. The reason why a pokemon is capable of performing such a miraculous feat is because their minds can literally make _something_ out of _nothing_. A TM allows you to upload all of a technique's tangible properties into a pokemon's brain. A pokemon's mind is so powerful that with the right information they can perform almost any move."

Ash's eyes reflected disbelief as he tried to make sense of Sabrina's words. "So, you're saying that any pokemon can learn any move?"

"In theory, yes," replied Sabrina in a monotone intonation, "but in actuality, the chance that, let's say, an arcanine can learn a move contrary to its typing, such as Hydro Pump, is almost zero."

"But, why's that?" asked Ash, "if a pokemon can learn any move by simply processing the technique's information than why couldn't you just give an arcanine a Hydro Pump TM? Wouldn't that work?"

"No, it wouldn't," retorted Sabrina. "Do you want to know why?"

"Of course I do!" blurted Ash, "please, tell me!"

Sabrina crossed her arms as she began to explain.

"The reason that it is nearly impossible for an arcanine to learn Hydro Pump, even with the help of a TM, is because we as humans haven't figured out a way to artificially teach an arcanine that technique. It's rather apparent that Hydro Pump isn't in an arcanine's natural moveset. However, neither is a same-type move like Overheat. In order to teach an arcanine the move Overheat you have to use a TM that has been specifically programmed to work for arcanine and a number of other suitable species."

She brought her hand up to her chin as she continued to explain.

"Every single TM that has ever been invented has been made applicable to a certain list of pokemon. For example, the TM for Overheat is applicable to the arcanine species, meaning that an arcanine can use it. As a matter of fact, with the help of a TM, nearly every fire-type pokemon can learn the move Overheat because it is easy for a TM developer to procure the information required to teach a pokemon of the same typing as the technical machine the specified move."

"Okay," answered Ash, "so—"

"Before you interject, let me finish," interrupted Sabrina, "It is highly likely that I will answer whatever questions you have momentarily."

Ash simply nodded, slightly disappointed in himself for behaving like his overeager friend Austin.

"Anyways, what I'm trying to get at is that, with the correct calibrations, we humans are able to take advantage of the adaptability of a pokemon's brain in order to teach them things that should otherwise be impossible. An example of this would be that under no natural circumstance should a mankey be able to learn Overheat. Even by means of meticulous breeding, it is impossible for a Mankey to acquire the move Overheat without a TM."

The psychic virtuoso took a breath before carrying on.

"The only reason that the Overheat TM works on the mankey species is because Silph Co. scientists, and their collaborators, have found a way to use the species' innate aggression and fury as an ignitor, instead of a congenital internal flame. Man was able to find an alternative route to teach a pokemon a move that should, by all means, be impossible to learn, by virtue of a pokemon's extraordinary brain."

Sabrina paused before giving Ash a look that portrayed that _now_ was an appropriate time for him to speak.

"I think I get it," said Ash, "so you're basically saying that because of the power of their minds, pokemon are capable of learning just about every move out there. However, it takes an artificially made TM that has been written to take advantage of a pokemon's specific mental attributes in order to access the means to learn the technique."

"Exactly," retorted Sabrina, "and the biggest flaw is that figuring out what those mental attributes are happens to be a strenuous and mind bending task. Most of the time, scientists only come up with an end-product by chance, and that's after countless hours of study and experimentation."

Sabrina paused for a brief moment to make sure that Ash was following.

"It's obviously a different story for pokemon learning a technique, by means of TM, when they already have all of the biological parts to perform the technique, such as an arcanine in relation to the TM Overheat. However, the chance that anyone will ever come up with the right formula to artificially teach an arcanine a contrapositive move like Hydro Pump is slim to none."

"I definitely understand what you're saying now," replied Ash with a curious expression. "But, we're not giving any of my pokemon TM's, so what does this have to do with mental barriers?"

"I knew you were going to ask that," said Sabrina with a slight smirk. "In regard to mental barriers, this information is important because it gives you a better understanding of what the brain of a pokemon is capable of."

"If what I've said is true, and a pokemon is actually capable of making _something_ out of _nothing_ just by acquiring the right information, then with a significant amount of knowledge concerning psychic energy, shouldn't a pokemon be able to learn how to create mental protection by means of their own cognition?"

Ash stared forward in bewilderment as he tried to make sense of what Sabrina had just said. "I'm sorry, Sabrina. But, you've lost me again."

Sabrina released yet another frustrated sigh before replying. "Basically, the reason pokemon are able to create mental barriers, by result of a process such as external psychic exposure, is because the action of exposing the pokemon's brain to placid psychic energy gives them an opportunity to subconsciously dissect its properties and obtain the information required to instinctually protect themselves, creating a mental barrier out of a minuscule understanding of psychic powers."

"Um…yeah," drawled Ash as he rubbed his temples, "I think I've maxed out on the amount of information I can digest for the time being. Is it okay if we just start? I've got a basic understanding of what's going on. Any more information will probably just go right over my head."

"Very well," answered Sabrina with a stiff shrug. "I suppose it is a lot of information to learn in such a short amount of time. However, it will be important to comprehend all of this if you ever plan on training a psychic pokemon of your own, or if you want to put up mental barriers over a pokemons' mind without my help."

"Gotcha," replied Ash, "I definitely want you to teach me as much as possible, but you'll have to be patient with me. I'll learn it, although I don't have a lot of experience with psychic-types. This is my first time hearing a lot of the stuff that you're saying, and it's kind of hard to process it all. That's why I want to just start instead of waste any time. We have a few days; I'm sure I'll be able to comprehend everything by then. But, for now, anticipation is clogging my ability to think, and I have a feeling my pokemon are on the same page as me."

In response to Ash's comment, Haunter, Clefairy and Growlithe let out grunts of affirmation, signifying that they were antsy to begin.

"Okay then," said Sabrina with an emotionless nod, "I understand. We shall begin."

A smile crept across Ash's face as he watched Sabrina's eyes pivot over to her wise, female alakazam, "Remember what we talked about, Midna? Keep the Psychic at a low-level to start out."

Midna's mustache wiggled as she nodded her head up and down.

Sabrina brought her gaze back over to Ash before raising a question, "Who will be going first?"

Ash looked down at all three of his pokemon, and was about to ask which one of them wanted to be the first to undergo external psychic exposure, when Clefairy voluntarily stepped forward.

She had a dauntless disposition, although Ash could tell by the look in her eyes that she was slightly nervous, which was to be expected. As far as Ash knew, this would be Clefairy's first time coming into direct contact with pure psychic energy. And even though it wasn't a hostile situation, Ash understood that apprehension towards an unknown feeling was only natural.

"I guess Clefairy wants to go first," said Ash before shifting his attention to address his fairy-type, "right?"

Clefairy nodded her head as she focused her eyes on Sabrina and Midna.

Sabrina gave the fairy pokemon a small smile, which was obviously rare, before bending over to meet Clefairy at eye level. "Your bravery is refreshing. Few females possess the kind of courage I can see in your countenance. You must make your trainer proud."

Ash watched as Clefairy seemingly blushed on account of Sabrina's kind praise. The fairy pokemon had to look down at the ground in order to hide the redness that had invaded her cheeks.

Ash knew that Clefairy's bravery wasn't just inherent, but also stemmed from her desire to not appear as weak to the rest of Ash's male pokemon. Getting praised by an exponentially powerful female, like Sabrina, meant a lot to the fairy-type, who spent the majority of her time trying to outperform the gaggle of boys around her.

Sabrina proceeded to scratch Clefairy affectionately behind the ears, resulting in a purr-like response, before standing up from her crouched over position.

"Now, it's time we actually got started," said Sabrina, "the external psychic exposure itself shouldn't take too long. Clefairy is a mystic element type, so she should be used to recognizing and bending energy that is similar to a psychics. You've chosen two pokemon that will pick up on this fast. With my help, we should be able to do this a lot quicker than usual."

"Sounds good," replied Ash with a smile. "Is there anything that you need me to do?"

"Just step back," answered Sabrina with a bland expression as she waved him away and started to backup herself. "Give Midna and Clefairy plenty of space. It's possible that she might have a bad reaction."

"A bad reaction?" asked Ash as he gestured for Haunter and Growlithe to follow him while he backed away from the center of the arena, "what do you mean a bad reaction?"

"Sometimes, during external psychic exposure, the recipient sporadically lashes out," replied Sabrina. "It's usually not that bad, but it's not wise to get too close. Chances are Clefairy will react just fine, especially since she is a mystic element type. However, we may as well be safe."

"Gotcha," mumbled Ash under his breath as he put a decent amount of distance between himself and Clefairy.

He felt Growlithe brush up against his leg and could hear Haunter's ghoulish laughter while he stared ahead at his lone, female pokemon.

"Good luck, Clefairy!" bellowed the ten-year-old boy as he watched Midna draw closer to the pink fairy pokemon.

Clefairy looked back at her trainer with an assertive expression before she raised one of her fists confidently in the air. It was pretty apparent that the fairy-type was trying to depict confidence to her trainer.

Ash couldn't help but reciprocate his friend by mirroring her movements. He raised his fist in the air, signifying that he believed in her strength. "You've got this, Clefairy! You'll be just fine!"

As Ash's support bearing inflection echoed within the gym's vacant arena, Sabrina's voice suddenly pierced through it, resonating an authoritative tone. "Clefairy, once Midna enters your mind, do not resist! Instead, simply observe the psychic energy and allow your mind to soak in its properties!"

She paused to take a breath.

"It may take a while, but eventually you will feel like you can grab onto it! When that happens, pull! It means that your mind is ready to consume the energy! From that point forward, you should at least have a foundational understanding of how to begin to construct a mental barrier!"

Clefairy nodded her head as Midna began to raise her spoons. They hovered over Clefairy's head in preparation to emit the Psychic wave.

Ash had to admit, he was overwhelmed. The amount of information that Sabrina had just spewed out, while she was trying to teach him about the mind, had the ten-year-old boy's head spinning. Not to mention the fact that Ash had no way to tell what would really be taking place in the upcoming moments. He couldn't see inside of Clefairy's head. He couldn't give her pointers on how to build a formidable mental barrier.

No, this was entirely up to her. She would have to figure this one out by herself. All Ash could do was watch until he could one day garner a better understanding of the complexities of the mind. Ash didn't have the means to give Clefairy advice and help her protect her psyche from psychic assailments. He hated not being able to do anything, but at least Clefairy was in good hands. Midna and Sabrina would help her acquire a suitable mental barrier.

"Midna, now!" hollered Sabrina.

Ash watched as a ray of mystifying, purple energy enshrouded itself around Midna's risen spoons before abruptly leaving the two silver conduits. It rapidly rushed towards Clefairy, resulting in a wide-eyed look of surprise from the pink fairy pokemon.

Ash's stomach slightly dropped as he watched the psychic energy phase into Clefairy's body, but he was able to relax as soon as he saw that Clefairy wasn't displaying any sort of painful reaction. Instead, the fairy-type simply stared in befuddlement as something stirred within her mind.

All of a sudden, a flash of bright blue energy was projected from Clefairy's eyes as she stood still. After the initial pulse, her eyes remained a steady auroral blue, which reminded Ash of the elder, telekinetic clefable back at Mt. Moon.

"What's happening!?" blustered Ash from across the arena. "She's okay, right!?"

"Do not worry, Ash Ketchum!" retorted Sabrina, "The blue in her eyes signifies an inner psychic presence! So far, so good, this is typical protocol!"

Midna kept her spoons held over Clefairy's head as the psychic energy coursed throughout the fairy pokemon's existence. The female alakazam's facial expression didn't show any emotion. However, Ash had failed to notice until now that her eyes were glowing just like Clefairy's, albeit they were pink instead of blue. Ash wasn't sure, but he guessed that this was due to the fact that Midna was maintaining the psychic energy within Clefairy's mind…

This went on for roughly thirty minutes. During that time, their predicament didn't fluctuate. Clefairy remained still and void of emotion. Her eyes continuously glowed a vivid, bright blue. Midna stood over her with a stiff posture. Her eyes never refrained to emit an auroral pink brilliance.

Nevertheless, despite the lack of movement, Ash never took his eyes off of Clefairy. While one of his friends was in such a focal stupor, there was absolutely no way he could check out of the situation. What if something happened? What if she needed him? Until Clefairy came out of her psychic trance, Ash would remain utterly fastened on her status.

Out of his peripherals, Ash could see that Growlithe and Haunter were just as focused as he was. Not only were they observing for themselves what external psychic exposure looked like, from an onlooker's perspective, but it was also evident that they worried about their friend.

Clefairy and Growlithe had been through a lot together, and Haunter and Clefairy had just recently become good friends. Both of them had a good relationship with Ash's female fairy-type, so it was only natural that they would worry. Besides, Ash was convinced that all of his pokemon cared for one another to some degree. Pidgeotto, the most quarrelsome of them all, had proven this when he saved Wartortle's life back in the underground hideout—

—Suddenly, Ash's rumination was severed when the blue in Clefairy's eyes swiftly faded, and she fell to the ground panting excessively. Simultaneously, Midna's eyes ceased their glow as she lowered her spoons.

The dark-haired boy instantly sprinted out toward the middle of the arena with Haunter and Growlithe trailing closely behind him. Concern began to rise within him as he neared his grounded fairy-type.

"Clefairy, what's wrong!?" wailed Ash frantically. "Are you alright!?"

"Ash Ketchum, do not fret," articulated Sabrina as she slowly approached Ash and his pokemon. "Clefairy is just fine. This method may not be painful, but it is extremely exhausting. She's just tired. Am I right, Clefairy?"

A smile stretched across Clefairy's face as she raised one of her tiny fists in the air. Ash wasn't sure whether it was a fist of triumph or simply a way to indicate that she was okay. Whatever the case, he was just happy to know that she was alright.

"Thank God," drawled Ash as he wiped the nervous sweat from his forehead. "I was worried there for a second."

Clefairy looked up at him with gentle eyes, seemingly flattered by Ash's genuine concern.

As Ash crouched down in order to get closer to Clefairy's level, he listened to Sabrina as she interacted with Midna.

"So, Midna, how did it go?" asked Sabrina, "It looked to have been a success from my end."

There was a momentary pause as Midna ostensibly communicated with Sabrina using telekinesis.

After a couple of seconds, Sabrina brought her gaze down to Ash as he gently scratched the fur behind Clefairy's pointed ears.

"What did she say?" Ash asked Sabrina as he felt Growlithe cuddle up next to his side.

A small smile formed across Sabrina's face, for the second time since Ash had arrived at the gym, before she responded. "According to Midna, it went well. She said that your Clefairy is very adept when it comes to manipulating mystic energy."

"She was able to process most of Psychic's properties relatively quickly, and her mind was able to begin constructing the groundworks for a solid mental barrier. Midna doesn't believe that she will need any more external psychic exposure. She has internalized everything she needs. Clefairy can complete the rest of the process on her own."

"Really!?" exclaimed Ash, "that's awesome!"

He quickly shifted his attention from Sabrina to Clefairy, "Great Job, Clefairy, I'm so proud of you!"

Clefairy smiled, once again, as Growlithe congratulated her with a jovial yip, and Haunter used one of his shadowy hands to playfully pat her on the head. The ghost-type flinched when Clefairy's eyes closed, afraid that he had somehow sent her into comatose, but Ash could tell that the fairy-type was just resting her eyes.

"It's fine, don't worry," crooned Ash as he petted in between the spikes on Haunter's back. "She's just tired."

Ash proceeded to unclip Clefairy's pokeball from his trainer belt as Haunter breathed a ghoulish sigh of relief. "She needs to take a nice, long break."

The dark-haired boy pivoted his eyes over to Sabrina before pressing the return button, "That's okay, right?"

"Yes," retorted Sabrina, "that is fine. Clefairy is done for the day. We will continue her mental barrier training tomorrow."

"Gotchya," answered Ash with a relieved intonation as he pressed the button on Clefairy's pokeball.

There was a tranquil smile on Clefairy's face as she was soaked in a blanket of ruby red light. Ash wasn't exactly sure what she was thinking, but it was probably something along the lines of satisfaction. Clefairy was a warrior, and few things made her happier than strengthening herself. More than likely, her serene smile derived from an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.

Once Clefairy had been returned, Ash stood up from his crouched over position before centering his focus on Sabrina, "So, what now?"

"Now," retorted Sabrina monotonously, "we repeat the process with Haunter."

A small smirk formed across Ash's face while Haunter let out a confident guffaw.

The next few days were definitely going to be interesting.

XXX

About an hour after their first session of mental barrier training, Ash stood in one of the arena's trainer boxes with Growlithe sitting loyally by his side. Standing directly in front of him was Charmander, who had his hands full trying to draw out enough of the draconic energy that was coursing throughout his veins in order to perform Dragon Rage.

They had started the process of learning Dragon Rage while Ash was traveling with Wallace and Austin to Saffron. During those few days, Ash and Charmander had spent the majority of their one-on-one time learning how to properly access the fire-lizard's draconic energy.

The pokedex said that Charmander's draconic energy was located deep within his internal flame. In order to use Dragon Rage, the lizard pokemon needed to learn how to sift through his inner furnace and separate the parts that were fused with inherent draconic energy.

Up to this point, Charmander was able to put forth a draconically infused ember. Essentially, it was an ember with tiny bits of draconic essence. It was a good start, but they had a lot of work to do before Charmander could filter out the fire and release a pure draconic shock wave.

Moves that were categorized outside of a pokemon's natural typing were always more difficult to learn than same-type moves. So far, Charmander's training with Ash had solely consisted of techniques that existed outside of Charmander's typing, such as Focus Punch and Dragon Rage. Due to this fact, Charmander's growth had been slower than the rest of Ash's pokemon, since he's had to spend much more time ironing out the basics of each move he's learned.

Be that as it may, it would pay off eventually. Charmander was accumulating quite the diverse moveset. In due time, his strength would catch up with his potential, and he would be an extremely formidable member of Ash's team.

Hopefully, Ash would have enough time to really work with Charmander over the next couple of days. Out of all of Ash's friends, he definitely needed the most work. The ten-year-old boy was hoping that his fire-lizard would evolve at some point between now and his battle against Erika. It would give Charmander the extra boost in strength that he needed in order to be a real factor in the battle against Celadon's young gym leader.

For the time being, though, all Ash could do was take advantage of the present moment. Sabrina had just recently left to attend Robert's press conference, so he had some free time to work with his other pokemon.

Ash wasn't quite sure what the exact agenda for tomorrow looked like, but Sabrina had made it clear that they would be working on raising and solidifying Clefairy and Haunter's mental barriers. Both mystic element users had ended their first session with Sabrina having created a solid foundation for their mental barriers.

Haunter ended up doing just as well as Clefairy, which was to be expected. Not only was Haunter a mystic element type, but he was also a pokemon that could be taught the move Psychic: the most frequently used move for external psychic exposure.

Psychic wasn't in a haunters' natural moveset, however, with the help of a TM, the ghost-type could easily be taught how to conjure psychic energy—which meant that somewhere amidst a haunter's incorporeal brain, scientists had garnered enough knowledge about the ghost-type's mental attributes to figure out the trigger for Psychic. And according to Sabrina, if scientists were able to figure out the formula to artificially teach a pokemon a move using a TM, the fragment of Haunter's species that was capable of learning Psychic must not have been that far out of reach in the first place.

Simply put, the psychic energy that Midna used to enter Haunter's mind wasn't so foreign to the ghost-type that he had to undergo multiple rounds of external psychic exposure. Instead, like Clefairy, he could work out the rest of his mental barrier on his own. Clefairy and Haunter might both need some pointers and instruction from Sabrina, but everything they needed to put up a mental barrier now existed within them.

As things stood now, Haunter and Clefairy were well on their way to acquiring strong mental barriers. However, right now, it was time for them to rest. Right before Sabrina had left for the press conference, she had specifically instructed him to let Haunter and Clefairy have the rest of the night off. The external psychic exposure had exhausted them, and they needed time to recuperate their energy.

Since Haunter and Clefairy were out of commission for the rest of the evening, Ash had originally thought about using the computer in his guest room to find a live feed of the press conference. It couldn't be too hard to find given that it was being streamed worldwide.

It definitely would have been an interesting watch, but Ash already had the inside scoop on what was going on. He had been a part of the mission to rescue Robert—it didn't get much better than that. There wasn't anything that was going to be announced during the press conference that Ash hadn't already been told by Robert himself.

The only reason that Ash could think of, in regard to watching the presser, was to see the reaction that Robert got when he stepped out into the public eye. The world would go crazy, although that wasn't really something that you could truly witness by means of a fourteen-inch computer screen.

Therefore, Ash decided that his time would be better spent training some of his pokemon that wouldn't be taking part in the external psychic exposure, especially the pokemon that would be participating in his fourth gym battle against Erika. Since Ash had already decided to give Growlithe some time to rest after the intense battle in Team Rocket's underground hideout, Charmander was the first that came to mind.

The low ceilings of the Saffron gym didn't particularly agree with Pidgeotto, and Ash would have to trek a long way to find a suitable place outside the gym to work with his avian on Agility. So, for now, any training with Pidgeotto would have to wait until he left Saffron.

After Ash finished working with Charmander, he planned on doing some light training with Ivysaur. The grass-type had earned a nice rest after his hard work during the mission, but a little work with Razor Leaf wouldn't be asking too much. For the most part, Ivysaur would just be sifting through his internal seed supply. He had yet to find the seed that could sprout into the blade-like leaf that Ivysaur needed in order to perform Razor Leaf, so until then, his training didn't particularly involve anything exhausting.

Anyways, all of that would come later. Right now, Charmander had his undivided attention. The fire-lizard was periodically spewing out bursts of draconically infused ember, desperately waiting for a breakthrough.

The pokedex said that a Charmander's draconic energy was something that got stronger with repetition. Just like the rest of his internal flame, he needed experience using his draconic energy in order for it to strengthen.

According to the pokedex, eventually it would get strong enough to where Charmander could easily separate it. When that finally happened, his draconic energy would no longer feel the need to latch onto his flames. Instead, it would dwell within him, apart from his internal flame, in a separate furnace-like organ.

"Keep it up, Charmander!" howled Ash encouragingly as the fire-lizard exhaustively propelled a multitude of purple-tinged fireballs.

Intermixed with Ash's cries of encouragement were Growlithe's loud, supportive yelps. Charmander and Growlithe were great friends after all. Whenever one was working hard the other was usually nearby, ready to offer their support. It was a culmination of their bond as fire-types, which was growing stronger each and every day.

Throughout the training session, Charmander's draconically infused fireballs were gradually starting to get purpler as the draconic energy within them increased. There was still a lot of work to do until Charmander's draconic power was potent enough to where he could try separating it from his flames, but at least they were making progress.

They continued this process, of Charmander putting forth draconically infused Embers, for quite some time until the fire-type was completely exasperated. By the time they finally finished, Charmander could barely stand. His short legs were wobbling and he was panting exhaustively.

"Good job, Charmander," crooned Ash as he approached his drained lizard pokemon. "That's enough for now."

Growlithe subsequently put forth a laudatory bark, praising his fellow fire-type for his hard work.

Charmander released a tired, but pleasant, squeal as he grabbed onto Ash's pant leg for support. The fire-lizard loved the feeling of a hard training session, but it was rather apparent that they probably had overdone it. Next time they trained, Ash would have to pay more attention to Charmander's stamina levels.

The fire-lizard liked to overwork himself and had a habit of willfully suppressing his exhausted disposition, during training, so that Ash wouldn't notice how tired he was until he absolutely couldn't hide it anymore. It was an unusual tendency that's sole purpose was to allow Charmander to train past the point that Ash would typically cut him off at.

It was a commendable tendency, but at the same time, Ash didn't like it. At times, it could be dangerous, and the ten-year-old boy wasn't keen to the fact that he couldn't always read His friend. It made him feel like he lacked control over his fire-lizard and that unsettled him.

Charmander had never actually shown this tendency in battle, but the second he did, Ash would definitely confront him. In order to battle healthily, Charmander couldn't be consciously trying to suppress his emotions. Not only was it dangerous, but it was a waste of energy.

Wartortle was different because that was his personality, and Ash and the turtle pokemon had worked hard to figure out ways to overcome it.

The fire lizard's personality was full of lively emotions, so it only made sense that he would wear that personality in battle. It was the personality that Ash had bonded with; it was the personality that the dark-haired boy knew and understood. It didn't bode well for Ash, tactically, if Charmander ever attempted to extinguish that part of himself in battle.

"It looks like you've overworked yourself again," said Ash with a frown. "What did I tell you? You've gotta' stop doing this. It's not safe."

Charmander looked up at Ash with a frown. The dark-haired boy could tell that he felt bad, but at the same time, he'd given Ash this look before and still refrained from doing anything about it. Ash had a feeling that Charmander was going to have to learn the hard way that overworking himself wasn't a good thing.

"It's alright…" drawled Ash as he handled Charmander's pokeball, "just let me know when you've hit your limit next time. Until then, take a rest. You need it.

Ash returned Charmander with a slight frown before looking down at Growlithe, "I'm going to need you to talk to him about that. I don't like it."

Growlithe gave Ash a determined look as he disembogued a grunt of affirmation.

"Thanks," said Ash with a smile. "It means a lot."

The puppy pokemon replied with a joyful yip, happy that he had pleased his trainer. It was times like this when Growlithe needed to step up and assume the role of leader on Ash's team.

Lucky for Ash, his best friend was willing to take on the task.

XXX

"What is it, Ivysaur?" asked Ash while his grass-type exited a deep, meditative state. "Any luck?"

A wide smile stretched across Ivysaur's face as he nodded his head.

"Really!?" exclaimed Ash with bright eyes and a smile of his own. "Are you sure!? If so, let's test it out!"

The saurian let out a low, acquiescent grunt before pushing the seed that he believed would hatch into Razor Leaf out of his internal seed supply and into one of his protrusion slots. He then proceeded to douse it in one of his many internal organic growth hormones in order to trigger an accelerated growth.

Ash watched as Ivysaur's vines pushed out one glistening, verdant leaf. It was fine and unlined, bearing a pristine, blade-like appearance. All it took was one look at it to be able to tell that Ivysaur had finally procured the correct seed.

"Hold still," said Ash as he crouched down to Ivysaur's level in order to examine the leaf even further.

Growlithe, who had been by Ash's side the entire time, followed his trainer's example, leaning forward so that he could get a closer look as well.

As Ivysaur tried not to move, Ash ran his fingers over the flat side of the leaf. It was a strange sensation. The saurian's Razor Leaf felt nothing like a normal leaf. It seemed to be durable and flexible. If Ash didn't know better, he would think that it was artificial.

The dark-haired boy didn't need to touch the edges to know that they were dangerously sharp. The pokedex entry said that a Razor Leaf was sharp enough to penetrate the thickest of hides, although at Ivysaur's current level, it probably wasn't strong enough to cause anything more than a flesh wound.

Ash wouldn't have to worry about Razor Leaf being powerful enough to kill until his friend was well into his venusaur stage. And by that time, his saurian would garner the kind of control needed to make sure that a fatal strike never occurred.

"Yup," said Ash with a massive grin on his face, "this is it. Do you want to try firing it?"

In subsequence to the ten-year-old's question, Ivysaur gave Ash a look that indicated that he was dying to give it a whirl.

"I'll take that as a yes," retorted Ash with a laugh as he looked around Sabrina's gym in search of a suitable target. "Damn, I don't see anything…Have any ideas of what we can test it out on?"

Ivysaur gave Ash an inquisitive look as he tried to think of a sufficient solution. A few seconds went by before Ivysaur's eyes lit up with an idea.

Ash stood up and watched as Ivysaur made his way over to one of the many stone pillars that cascaded from the low ceiling into the ground. He took a moment to size it up before unloading a battery of Leech Seeds at the pillar. Upon impact with the stone, they instantly sprouted leaving a mess of tangled, glowing vines wrapped around the beam.

Once the vines from the Leech Seed had covered a good portion of the pillar, Ivysaur fired another round for good measure. Just like the preceding seeds, they sprouted instantaneously when they connected with their target. When they hit, they covered the pillar even more, resulting in an abundantly thick convergence of vines.

"Good thinking," said Ash, impressed. "Your Razor Leaf definitely shouldn't be able to penetrate all of that. We should be able to get a good feel for how strong it is. Just don't miss. I'm afraid of what Sabrina will do to us if we damage anything in her gym.

Ivysaur nodded before centering his red eyes strictly on the vine covered pillar.

"The pokedex says that you're supposed to use your vines as a catapult to fire them," explained Ash. "I think you're probably going to have to cover the seed in the growth hormone and propel it before it sprouts. Shoot it like Leech Seed—it'll change into Razor Leaf in midair."

The seed pokemon once again emitted a low-toned grunt before discarding his current Razor Leaf. Ivysaur understood what Ash had been talking about when he said that he would have to fire it as a seed. Once Razor Leaf had sprouted, it was difficult to get a good grip on. The stem was short and stubby, which made it hard to hold onto, and the rest of the leaf was too sharp to latch onto without injuring his vines.

Once Ivysaur discarded his original Razor leaf, Ash had Growlithe burn it into nothingness with Ember. Something that sharp was too dangerous to have lying about. Besides, Ash kind of wanted to see how it would respond to being drenched in flames. As expected, it burned like a normal leaf. Its unusual durability wasn't a factor when exposed to its greatest weakness: fire.

After Ash watched Growlithe incinerate the Razor Leaf, it was time to let Ivysaur have a go at propelling it. Ash observed as Ivysaur took a moment to focus his aim before releasing two seeds from his protrusion slots at a high velocity. It was hard for Ash to see, but about a half-second after the seeds were exposed to the outside, they sprouted.

Appearing in midair were two frighteningly fast leaves. They sliced through the air horizontally like two razor-sharp disks. Upon impact with the tangled pillar, Ash smirked as they glided through the first layer of vines before getting stuck in the second.

It was nearly perfect. Ivysaur's Razor Leaf was powerful enough to make a difference, but it wasn't too strong to where it could be fatal. Judging by the damage that Razor Leaf had done to the vines, Ash figured that with most mammalian and reptilian pokemon the leaf would stop well before it hit the bone and would never go through.

As for some of the boneless species out there, Ash and Ivysaur would just have to be careful. The ten-year-old didn't want any pokemon's blood on his hands.

"That was awesome, Ivysaur!" blurted Ash with excitement evident in his intonation before slowly approaching his grass-type from behind. "As a matter of fact, it was just about perfect. The only thing I think we need to work on is ironing out the timing of the release. Unless I tell you otherwise, the longer you can wait with it the better."

He paused in thought as he brought one of his hands up to his chin.

"However, I do think that we could probably do some cool stuff by varying the speed in which you release the seeds. It would probably throw off our opponents' timing if we had some Razor Leafs sprout immediately, while others are delayed. Whatever the case, this is going to be fun!"

Ivysaur nodded frenziedly with joy in his eyes. He had done even better than he originally thought he would.

"What do you say we try it again?" asked Ash. "But, this time, try and delay the release a little bit after you apply the growth hormone. I want to cut down the lag time in between the release and the sprouting of the seed.

The saurian released a grunt of affirmation before plodding forward in preparation to fire another round. He'd only just learned it, but Razor Leaf was quickly becoming one of his favorite techniques.

XXX

A few days had gone by since Clefairy and Haunter's mental barrier training had begun, and once again, Ash and Growlithe stood out in the middle of the Saffron Gym's arena. He had just returned Wartortle, after a satisfactory evaluation of the turtle pokemon's newly acquired strength, when Bill showed up.

The billionaire pokemon researcher was wearing his usual formal garments and looked to be much better rested than he had just a couple of days ago. He waltzed into the gym with a cheerful attitude, although Ash could tell he was hiding the fact that he felt slightly guilty for not having shown up until now.

The melodramatic Montgomery wasn't the best at hiding his emotions.

Bill was supposed to have been commuting back and forth from Silph Co. headquarters and Sabrina's gym, throughout the last few days, but never showed up. Ash was a little disappointed that Bill hadn't kept his word. However, he wouldn't hold it against him. Bill had probably gotten caught up in a bunch of his father's affairs and didn't have as much time as he'd expected.

The aftermath of Robert's press conference had been crazy after all. Ever since the populace had found out that their beloved Mr. Montgomery was still alive, Saffron's streets had been wild. The entire city of Saffron had been turned into one massive party. In Ash's opinion, it was kind of overwhelming, albeit it was nice to see the people celebrate after the last week and a half of terror…

"How did your first couple days of training go?" asked Bill as he leaned over and petted the tuft atop Growlithe's head.

"Pretty good," said Ash with a shrug. "Sabrina says that we should be finishing up our mental barrier training later today."

"Oh, really?" questioned Bill with raised eyebrows. "So, everything went according to plan then?"

"Yeah," retorted Ash with a smile, "I don't think that there were any setbacks. Everything except for the brief round of external psychic exposure was internal, so it was kind of hard for me to tell. Sabrina says that they've made a lot of progress, and Haunter and Clefairy appear to be happy about where they are at, so I don't have any reason to suspect otherwise."

"Gotchya," drawled Bill while standing up from his leaned over position. "Well, if Sabrina says that it's going well than it must be. I can't stand the bloody wench, but it would be stupid for me to deny her expertise in this field. Besides, she seems to have garnered a soft spot for you. I doubt that she would give you anything other than her very best when it comes to training."

"I know," answered Ash. "I trust her judgement. I just wish there was more that I could do. I haven't really been of much use. For the most part, it has been Sabrina training them. I've just been sitting back and watching."

Bill let out a laugh that oozed mockery, "Did you honestly expect anything less? Ash, you're a genius for your age, but you have zero experience when it comes to the realm of psychics. Sabrina is the cream of the crop. Of course, she would be the one taking the lead."

Bill paused as an expression of disgust formed across his face. It was without a doubt a result of the kind words that he had just spoken about Sabrina.

"Ash, how much have you learned over the past couple of days?"

A mishmash of information stirred within his mind at the mere mention of the word _learned_. Over the past couple of days, Ash had _learned_ more about the mind, and psychics, than he ever could have on his own. There were times when he felt like his mind was going to crash because it was working on overdrive in order to retain all of the information that Sabrina had been bent on drilling into him.

"A lot," replied Ash with dazed eyes.

"That's what I thought," answered Bill with a smirk. "Not only is Sabrina helping you train your pokemon, but she is also training you. She knows how important it is to you that you resume your journey, so she is working as fast as she can to help your pokemon accumulate their mental barriers. However, at the same time, she is trying to ingrain as much knowledge as she can into your head."

He paused.

"Let me ask you something, Ash. Now that you've spent a few days training with Sabrina, do you think that you're better prepared to train a psychic of your own than you would have been beforehand?"

Ash thought about it for a second before replying, "Without a doubt."

"Moreover, do you think that if you had a pokemon that knew Psychic you could use them to help the rest of your pokemon put up mental barriers?"

Ash smiled as he instantly knew the answer to Bill's question. "Yeah, I could. Sabrina has been very thorough when it comes to explaining what she is doing."

"Now, do you understand?" asked Bill. "The whole point of this is to teach you how to handle psychic pokemon and mental barriers by means of observation. Sabrina is doing the work now, so that you can do it later. Even I can see that she is offering you a lot more this way than if she were to simply provide the psychic exposure, and let you flop around like a magikarp out of water, while you try to figure out the rest on your own."

Ash had to admit, he felt like an idiot. Listening to Bill speak the truth helped him see how immature his precedent thoughts were. The ten-year-old boy had been so caught up in the fact that it had felt like Sabrina was training his pokemon, and not him, that he had completely looked past all of the fruits of knowledge that he had been reaping.

"I get it," said Ash with a slight frown. "I was being an idiot. I shouldn't be complaining about anything. What Sabrina is doing is above and beyond anything that I could have asked for. I've learned a lot from her."

"Now, you get it," retorted Bill with a massive grin as he gave Ash a friendly pat on the back. "Save all the complaining for me. I'm the one that can't stand her."

Ash let out a laugh before earnestly looking Bill in the eyes, "Thanks for that, Bill. You're a good friend."

Bill's smile stretched even further as he internalized Ash's words. Ash thought he could see a sliver of a tear cascade from one of his eyes, but it quickly vanished like a shooting star. The ten-year-old boy wouldn't put it past Bill to tear up from a single compliment, especially one that pertained to friendship. The pokemon researcher had proven to be overemotional when it came to the topic. He had shown that during their first encounter at the Montgomery's lighthouse.

"That means a lot coming from you, Ash" replied Bill before having a dramatic shift in countenance.

His disposition went from eemotional to austere in a matter of seconds. It was rather clear that Bill had just thought of something that was a lot less lighthearted, "I don't know why, but I just thought of something I'd like to ask you."

"What is it?" asked Ash with a gulp, sensing the tension that was emanating from Bill.

"Sabrina…" stated Bill with a look of seriousness delineated across his face, "has she happened to mention anything in regard to Ariana? Has there been any progress concerning breaking down Ariana's mental barrier?"

To be honest, Ash had been so busy with his training that he had completely forgotten that the Team Rocket executive was being held approximately seventy feet below him.

It's not like he had been glued to Sabrina's hip, so it was very possible that she had been going down to the basement while they were apart. However, there had been no signs that Sabrina had started using her psychic powers again, so Ash doubted that she had begun the psychic interrogation yet.

"I don't think so," retorted Ash. "I mean, it's possible. But, I don't think her psychic powers have been completely restored yet. Most likely, Ariana is just shackled up, waiting for Sabrina to have a go at trying to breach her mental barrier."

"Oh…" drawled Bill, "I see. Well, I guess that's to be expected."

"Sabrina should be using her powers again really soon, though," said Ash. "So, I'm sure that there will be some progress soon. It might be after I leave for Celadon, but as soon as Sabrina is comfortable using her powers, she'll be down there. I think she wants to figure out what Team Rocket is up to more than anyone."

"Gotchya," replied Bill. "I'll just have to be patient then."

His facial expression lightened up as he prepared to change the subject.

"So, when's your last round of training?" asked Bill with curious eyes. "You said you were set to finish later today, right?"

Now that the tension had left Bill, Ash relaxed. "I honestly don't know. Sabrina didn't give me a time. She just said, be ready."

"Sounds like Sabrina," spat Bill. "Anyway, if everything goes according to plan and you finish your mental barrier training today, can I assume your gym battle will be tomorrow?"

Ash smiled as the thought of earning his third badge pierced through his mind. "Yeah, I think so. Sabrina hasn't said anything about it since we started, but I believe that's what we originally agreed to."

"Brilliant," said Bill. "If it's tomorrow, I think Wallace might be able to make it. He's leaving for Hoenn tomorrow afternoon, and I know he wanted to see you before he left. As soon as you know the time, let me know."

"Awesome," replied Ash. "What about Austin? How's he doing?"

Bill frowned, "You weren't expecting him to make it to the gym battle, right?"

Ash shook his head before answering. "No, I wasn't. I just want to know how he's doing."

"_Phew!" _said Bill with a look of relief on his face, "in that case, he's doing just fine. Nurse Joy says he should be good to go in a couple days. I just didn't want to be the one to blow up your expectations if you were expecting him to make it tomorrow."

"Good, I'm glad he is getting better," said Ash with a smile. "Even though it would have been nice to have him at the battle, I'm just happy he is alright."

"Same," retorted Bill, "he's a nice chap and a really good friend to you. It's a bummer that he can't make it, but his health is much more important than a gym battle."

"I couldn't agree more," replied Ash, "so what are your plans for the—"

"Ash Ketchum, it's time to apply the final touches to your pokemon's mental barriers," interrupted Sabrina as she ambulated out of one of the many converging hallways and into the arena."

Her vacant eyes were drawn over to Bill for a split second before she disregarded him and fastened her attention back on Ash, "Let's go, release Clefairy and Haunter."

"Not even a hello, Sabrina," said Bill sarcastically with disdain evident in his intonation. "Already having a rough day?"

"It was perfectly fine until you showed up, Bill Montgomery," retorted Sabrina drily. "Now, scurry along. Ash Ketchum and I have some work to do."

"_Psht, _my father must be a bloody nutter to take you in as a daughter," groaned Bill. "Don't you agree, Ash?"

"Err…I wouldn't necessarily go that far," stammered Ash, wishing to play no part in their frivolous exchange.

Bill shot Ash a look that signified that he was a traitor as Sabrina responded.

"Why thank you, Ash Ketchum," hummed Sabrina, albeit monotonously. "I appreciate your honesty."

"No problem," said Ash before shifting his attention over to Bill, "no offense, Bill, just calling it how I see it."

Bill released an exasperated sigh before answering, "No problem. I understand."

He shifted his eyes over to Sabrina before gesturing up towards the encompassing bleachers, "Do you mind if I watch the last bit of your barrier training? I promise to keep my banter to a minimum if you say yes."

"I do not mind, Bill Montgomery. You may watch," articulated Sabrina with a slight smirk, "but it is not necessary for you to dial back your ridicule. It doesn't faze me in the slightest, and if it did, you wouldn't want to stick around to find out what I do to those that _truly _rub me the wrong way. My strife with you is nothing but a way to amuse myself. If I really couldn't stand you, I wouldn't allow you to step foot in my gym."

Bill gulped. By the look on his pensive mug, Ash could decipher that he was thinking something along the lines of, '_maybe I should stop showing so much contempt for Sabrina_.' However, it didn't really matter what was pulsing throughout Bill's mind. The pokemon researcher was too prideful and bent on his own way to change his behavior, unless he actually had to.

"Thanks," said Bill, through his teeth, while he started to trek over to the bleachers.

"I'll be watching from up there," announced Bill to Ash as he pointed up towards the stands. "If you need anything, just holler!"

"Yup!" blurted Ash. "Thanks for your support!"

"Of course!" retorted Bill from across the gym, "that's what friends are for!"

A smile stretched across Ash's face as he thought about Bill's kindness. That smile stretched even further as he felt Growlithe brush by his pant leg before using his nose to nudge at Clefairy's pokeball and Haunter's great ball.

"I agree with Growlithe," stated Sabrina, "it's time to focus. The faster we get this last bit of mental barrier training done, the faster we can have a fair gym battle.

"Alright," answered Ash with fire in his eyes as he thought about getting his hands on the Marsh Badge, "let's do this then."

"Excellent," retorted Sabrina as she reached for one of the great balls that were fastened around her waste, "Midna will be evaluating Clefairy and Haunter's status before we start. From there, we will initiate the final round of building their barriers."

"Sounds good," said Ash, excited, as he reached for Clefairy and Haunter's capture devices.

By the end of the day, their mental barriers would be up, and tomorrow would be the day of his long awaited battle against Sabrina.

XXX

A day later, Ash stood in one of the arena's trainer boxes, handling Clefairy's pokeball within his sweaty grasp. His nerves had spiked, and there was a slight quiver in his legs. The excitement of a gym battle tended to have that kind of affect, especially when it had been as anticipatory as this one.

Standing straight across from him, in the opposite trainer box, was Sabrina. She was as expressionless and sober minded as usual, and she was wearing the same casual attire that she had on the first time he had met her outside of the Pokemon Center. The psychic virtuoso had one pokeball floating around her body; it was enshrouded in psychic energy, which signified that after days of dormancy, Sabrina had finally recovered her psychic powers.

While the moments prior to the battle subsided, Ash looked up in the stands in order to soak up his support. Sitting to his right, roughly twenty feet above his head, were Growlithe, Bill, Wallace and surprisingly Robert.

Ash had to admit, he was pretty thrilled that Wallace had found a way to make it. Although he would have understood if the Champion couldn't, it still would have been disappointing.

Wallace was like family to him now, and Ash knew that in all likelihood this was the only time that he would be able to see one of his gym battles. Ash presumed that the Champion's duties in Hoenn would make it nigh impossible for him to travel, under his own accord, for quite sometime.

Robert's attendance was an utter shock. Ash could have sworn that Silph Co.'s CEO would have been way too busy tending to occupational matters to attend the gym battle. However, when Ash had spoken to him upon arrival, Robert explained that he had cleared up his schedule in order to make it.

Apparently, a battle between his dear Sabrina and his son's closest friend was way too important to miss. But, then again, Robert was a huge fan of pokemon battles. Maybe he was just using sentiments as an excuse to watch a good battle, which sounded like something that the head of the Montgomery family would do.

Sitting adjacent to Bill was Growlithe, who Ash had made watch the battle from the stands. It's not like Ash didn't want Growlithe by his side. However, without a mental barrier, the puppy pokemon was way too susceptible to psychic attacks to be hanging out in the arena. Sabrina had already ensured that she would protect Ash from any stray psychic assailments, adding Growlithe to that equation would only amplify her workload.

The only other people that Ash realistically wished could be there were Austin and Kent, and unfortunately, neither had a choice. Austin wouldn't be released from the Pokemon Center's hospital wing for another day or two, and Kent had to take care of a plethora of league matters. The fallout of the mission had proven to be more than any of them expected.

A lot of destruction had been accumulated within Saffron, and the league had given Kent the job of figuring out why. He had been busy interrogating the grunts that had been captured during the mission and had yet to find any substantial evidence on their end. Since he was momentarily keeping his mouth shut about Ariana, his progress would remain stationary for a while.

Ash was pretty sure that he wouldn't be seeing Kent anytime soon. The first-class ACE trainer was currently way too busy, and if everything went according to plan, Ash would be out of Saffron sometime within the next couple of days.

Anyways, Ash's attention was focused back on the battlefield when Sabrina spoke up from across the arena.

"Alright, Ash Ketchum," articulated Sabrina, "before we commence the battle, it is required that I state the rules."

Ash just nodded. It's not like he was surprised, every gym leader is required to recite the conditions of the battle before the match begins.

"This will be a two-on-two battle," said Sabrina with a monotonous intonation. "The trainer with the last pokemon standing wins. As you know, I am required to use my league registered team, so it should be no surprise what pokemon I use. Since the pokemon you will be using now have adequate mental barriers, I will not hold back. You will get the very best that my league registered team has to offer."

"Sounds good," said Ash with a smirk as he anxiously grasped Clefairy's pokeball.

"Also," added Sabrina, "there will be no referee. I promise to give you a fair match. There is no need to have one."

Sabrina then used her hand to gesture towards the others in the stands, "Besides, there are some highly astute individuals here to watch the match. If I make a bad call, they most certainly will interject."

"Gotchya," retorted Ash while rapidly nodding his head. He just wanted to get started before he exploded due to excessive anticipation.

"Alright then!" Sabrina blustered as her eyes reflected an auroral purple. "Challenger, Ash Ketchum, prepare for battle!"

Ash firmly gripped his fairy-type's capture-device as he watched Sabrina's enshrouded pokeball levitate into the middle of the arena.

"Begin!"

In subsequence to Sabrina's cry, Ash hurled Clefairy's pokeball towards Sabrina's. It rapidly spun through the air and closed in on the gym leader's floating orb before they both abruptly snapped open, releasing a lustrous explosion of light. The scintillating display lit up the dim arena for a split-second before fading away into abeyance.

Left in place of the radiant surge of light was Clefairy and one of Sabrina's multiple abra. Ash wasn't surprised by Sabrina's first choice whatsoever. He had figured that she would save her league registered kadabra, Merlin, for last.

The abra that Sabrina sent out sat idly in the middle of the arena. If Ash didn't know better, he would have thought that it was asleep because of its iwide, closed eyes. However, abra were well known for using their psychic powers as a way to sense those around them. They usually didn't begin to use their eyes to see until the kadabra stage.

Ash hadn't gotten much of a chance to observe Sabrina's two abra that battled against Ariana's pokemon, but now that he was able to get a better look, the thing that stood out to him the most was the bblack skin that was visible between its joints and long neck. It was a feature that wasn't shared by either a kadabra or an alakazam, which made Ash wonder if, until abra evolved into kadabra, its yellow exterior was more like armor than actual skin.

The ten-year-old boy also took note of the abra's thick, yellow tail, which protruded out of its backside. It wasn't nearly as bulky as a kadabra's tail, but it wasn't skinny by any means.

Sabrina's abra had two brown pauldron-like extensions on its shoulders as well as one brown, fauld-like piece around its chest. The only movement that the abra made existed in its small, pointed ears that continuously twitched atop its kite-shaped head.

Upon release, Clefairy immediately got into a defensive position. Both she and Haunter had been briefed that their gym battle would be today, so she was prepared. Her facial expression was calm and collected, which was one of the results of her training with Sabrina. The gym leader preached that serenity was one of the key components in holding a mental barrier against a psychic.

There was a momentary pause as Clefairy focused her eyes solely on Sabrina's abra before she abruptly began to charge.

Ash's eyes locked onto what was going on in front of him, and he watched with anticipation as abra reacted to Clefairy's advancement by lethargically standing up from its sitting position. Void of emotion, just like its master, the abra raised both of its three fingered hands towards Clefairy and began to emit a purple wave.

It wriggled throughout the air, exactly like Midna's Psychic did, before making contact with a precipitously approaching Clefairy. A sliver of fear coursed throughout Ash's existence at the sight of Clefairy getting hit by a psychic attack, but it was quickly extinguished when Clefairy only made a slightly pained face while she continued to barrel forward.

"She has barriers, Trace!" bellowed Sabrina as Clefairy got within arms reach. "This will be a tough battle! A mere Psychic attack won't knock her out!"

The abra known as Trace instantly tensed up. Its entire body became more alert as soon as it found out that Clefairy had mental barriers.

Of course, if the battle was in a different setting, the first thing abra would have done is check for mental barriers. However, due to the fact that most of a league registered pokemon's gym battles involved battling against weak rookie trainers, the abra probably assumed that Ash's Clefairy was just a foolhardy pokemon that didn't know what she was getting herself into.

Unfortunately for Trace, he was wrong.

Once Clefairy was within arms reach, she used the momentum that she had procured during her sprint to deliver a heavy Pound attack. Her tiny, albeit powerful, fist connected with the abra's face, causing the psi pokemon to unintentionally soar across the arena.

A jolt of excitement stirred within Ash's body as he watched Sabrina's abra heedlessly fly towards the arena's wall, but it was suddenly ceased when Trace vanished into thin air before reappearing right next to Clefairy.

As soon as it appeared using Teleport, the psi pokemon unleashed a more powerful psychic wave. This time, Ash could actually feel the animosity in the strike. Trace was attacking to inflict damage. He was no longer just lashing out in order to cause an effortless submission.

Surprised by the Psychic attack, Clefairy had nowhere to go. All she could manage was an impulsive Minimize, but it only allowed her to evade half of the attack. The other half of Trace's psionic blast was endured by Clefairy's body and her mental barrier while she prepared for a counterattack.

With a wry expression painted across her face, Clefairy retaliated with a quick attempt at Double Slap. She opened her dominant paw in order to deliver the strike when Trace once again teleported, this time, he teleported behind her before raising his hands for another Psychic attack.

Clefairy instantly dove out of the way, narrowly avoiding the psychic strike. On account of the miss, Ash thought he saw a small hint of dissatisfaction on Trace's face, but that was probably just his imagination. Trace's species didn't typically show any kind of emotion toward anything, especially how they fared in battle.

In subsequence to Clefairy's dodge, Trace began to emit another wave of Psychic. Just like the last psionic blast, this one was tenacious. The abra was clearly trying to inflict a considerable amount of damage. The psychic-type was unleashing intense, violet colored blasts in order to incapacitate the fairy pokemon.

Ash wasn't thrown off at all by Trace's repetitive use of Psychic. Abra were well known for having one of the worst natural movesets in Kanto. It wasn't until the kadabra stage that the abra line actually started to learn techniques. The only move that an abra could learn naturally was Teleport, and that was entirely inherent.

Other than Teleport, they were incapable of learning any natural techniques, which meant that Sabrina must have used a TM to teach Trace Psychic. Ash wasn't shocked that Sabrina had used a TM. Abra was one of the pokemon that she had chosen to put on her league registered team, and without using a TM, the psychic-type was essentially incapable of offense.

Abra's shallow moveset wouldn't matter in most cases. Most trainers that walked into the gym wouldn't have mental barriers over their pokemon's psyches, so they would be easily defeated by the weakest of psychic incursions. All Trace would really need was one move, and that move was Psychic.

However, that wouldn't work against Clefairy. She was strong, and she had mental barriers. Psychic and Teleport weren't enough to defeat Clefairy. She likely wouldn't be truly tested until Sabrina sent out Merlin.

"Clefairy, dodge with Minimize, and get in close!" bellowed Ash as he thought up a strategy.

Listening to her trainer's orders, Clefairy shrank to about an eighth of her normal size, narrowly avoiding Trace's psionic wave. Once the wave had been cleared, the fairy pokemon glided to within arms reach of her psychic opponent.

Ash quickly reacted, taking advantage of Trace's shock in order to reach him before he teleported, "Disarming Voice!"

Almost in complete concurrence to Ash's command, Clefairy emitted a bizarre, ominous noise. Ash hadn't heard the technique for quite sometime, but it was just as strange as he remembered. As the ear grating song was sung, it caused his body to shiver and his insides to stir. However, his reaction was barely anything compared to Trace's.

The abra instantly jolted backward upon being hit with the point-blank Disarming Voice. If abra's eyes were open, Ash would assume that they were vacant because of the bewildered look that was delineated across Trace's other facial features.

Ash didn't think that the Disarming Voice would do too much damage. However, that wasn't what Ash was going for. What he wanted was exactly what was happening, and that was disorientation. The ten-year-old boy wanted to put abra in a daze, so Clefairy could perform a technique that would cause significant damage.

With the abra in a confused trance, Ash smiled at the thought of announcing the last move in the combination.

"Clefairy, Stored Power, now!"

Most of the time, Ash had Clefairy use Stored Power after the opponent had benefited from a plethora of status techniques. But, in this scenario, Clefairy would just be tapping into her natural strength in order to emanate a powerful burst of energy at a point-blank range. Teleport didn't provide any enhancements to Trace's status, so he didn't have the option of drawing energy from the opponent. Be that as it may, Clefairy had enough built up energy to cause a vast amount of damage to the abra form this range.

In subsequence to Ash's order, Clefairy's whole entire body started to glow with polychromatic energy. It flickered for a few moments while Trace was in a dizzy trance, and Clefairy procured the entirety of her thaumaturgic energy before she released it.

As soon as the energy had been let go of, Ash had to cover his eyes in order to protect them from the penetrating glare of light that resulted from Stored Power. Once he could sense that the radiant light had subsided, he looked over the crease of his elbow and saw the aftermath of the attack.

Clefairy stood shaky and winded. It was clear that she had put more into the Stored Power than Ash would have liked. She was still in condition to fight, but she had caused way more exhaustion and damage to herself than Trace had up to this point. Maybe he should have waited longer to use Stored Power. He should have known that his fairy-type would be quick to let out everything.

Nevertheless, the result was devastating for Trace. The young abra laid still and unconscious. It was curled up on its side, and its limbs were limp and sprawled out. Despite the abra line's insane potential, their bodies were still feeble, especially in their primary stage.

Oftentimes, one powerful attack was enough to knock an abra out. They had yet to develop any moves to protect themselves. All they could really do was Teleport. No matter if Trace was trained by Sabrina or any other inexperienced trainer, she couldn't change its natural growth rate. It wouldn't unlock its true potential as a psychic until it evolved. For now, it was no match for a pokemon with a mental barrier that possesses an onslaught of physical techniques like Clefairy.

Ash also acknowledged the fact that Trace had probably just recently been added to Sabrina's league registered team. He remembered that when they were down in the Saffron Gym's basement, Sabrina had mentioned that one of her kadabra, Whiskers, had just recently evolved into a kadabra. Ash's guess was that Whiskers had been the abra on Sabrina's league registered team before Trace, and if that was the case, Trace was probably a very inexperienced abra.

Therefore, Ash had just battled an abra that was lower-leveled than what Sabrina usually had at her disposal. He was supposed to win the first round. The next battle would be different. Sabrina's league registered Kadabra wasn't inexperienced in the slightest. It was a beast that buried rookie trainers with its incredible psychic prowess. It had nearly peaked as a kadabra, and according to Sabrina, it was only a sliver of power away from making the jump into its final form.

Up to this point, everything had gone exactly as Ash had expected. Now, things were about to heat up. If Ash wanted to win this battle, he needed to get as much out of Clefairy as possible before releasing Haunter, because the true battle was just about to begin. Clefairy and Haunter would be pushed to their limits, and there was no doubt about it. Getting excited about defeating Trace was futile. Unless Ash was perfect, Merlin was more than capable of defeating both of his mystic types.

"Well done, Ash Ketchum," articulated Sabrina as she clipped Trace's pokeball back onto her belt. "You handled Trace quite well, although at his current power level he is less than a warmup to a pokemon that can endure his Psychic."

She paused as she detached another pokeball from her belt, "Merlin will provide you with your true test. Let's find out just how strong you are."

Ash nodded as he heard a trickle of cheers coming from up above. He had almost forgotten that Wallace, Bill and Robert were in the stands watching his battle. He had been so wrapped up in his match that he hadn't noticed any of the previous cheers. But, then again, it was entirely possible that there weren't any at all. When it came to trainers and pokemon experts of his friends' level, it tended to take a lot to impress them.

Ash zeroed back in on Sabrina as she nonchalantly tossed her second pokeball into the air. It floated in the air for a split-second before erupting in a vibrant array of white light. The luminous outburst existed for a brief moment prior to revealing a stoic kadabra. The kadabra known as Merlin glared ahead at Clefairy with intense, open eyes as he seemingly evaluated the fairy-type.

He proceeded to spin his single conduit spoon amidst his three clawed fingers in antecedence to raising it against Clefairy.

Ash gulped. Just by looking at the kadabra's elongated mustache and shrunken tail, he could tell that Merlin was on the verge of evolving into Sabrina's fifth alakazam. This would be even more difficult than he had originally anticipated. Merlin's disposition and level of focus clearly portrayed its superior experience.

Since Merlin's release, Sabrina had elected to stay silent. Ash assumed that she was probably communicating telepathically with Merlin, but he wasn't sure. She was behaving much more confidently. Even though she hadn't been acting unconfidently earlier, the change was easily recognizable. Ash could tell that Merlin and Sabrina had a lot of battle experience together. Taking them down would be arduous.

"Are you ready, Clefairy!?" bellowed Ash in a sincere voice. "This will be nothing like the last battle! You're going to have to step it up!"

The fairy pokemon turned around and nodded after processing Ash's words. Once she was done reassuring her trainer, she emitted an affirmative grunt as she laid her eyes back on the sagely kadabra.

All of a sudden, within the blink of an eye, Merlin vanished. All that was left where it previously stood was a confluence of fading energy. Ash's eyes went into panic mode as he used them to try and track down Merlin's whereabouts. By the time Ash finally spotted him, it was too late for him to command a counterattack. He would have to rely on Clefairy. Hopefully, her awareness significantly transcended his.

Luckily, it did.

Clefairy quickly pivoted her positioning as Merlin reappeared directly behind her. His eyes were emotionless, and his facial expression was bare, while he enveloped his silver spoon in a layer of psychic energy.

Before the battle, Ash had done some research when it came to a kadabra's moveset, so he was able to discern that Merlin was preparing to use Psycho Cut: a damage dealing psychic-type move, which involves using pure psychic energy to create blades.

Clefairy's eyes widened as she anticipated the forthcoming strike, and as Merlin used his enshrouded spoon to slash sideways at Clefairy, the fairy-type instantaneously minimized to approximately less than a quarter of her normal-size.

Ash breathed a sigh of relief when Merlin's attack missed, but his anxiety suddenly skyrocketed once more when Merlin changed the angle of his spoon and fired a Psybeam. It shot through the air at an amazing velocity, destroying any opportunity that Clefairy had to dodge.

Merlin's aim was dead-on. With his spoon pointed downward, the Psybeam hit Clefairy right on top of the head, sending a psionic shockwave directly toward her brain. Ash watched with fear in his eyes as Clefairy's expression contorted. She depicted images of pain and confusion as the beam penetrated her exterior and attacked her psyche.

"Clefairy!" Ash cried with significant worry in his intonation.

While her trainer's voice reverberated throughout the arena, Clefairy's eyes suddenly snapped open with vigor. As the beam's damage ceased, she squatted down, loading her legs with power, before leaping into the air with her fist curled into a ball.

Right before Clefairy's fist connected with Merlin's chin, the psi pokemon's eyes flashed with surprise. Clearly Merlin wasn't expecting Clefairy to have a mental barrier formidable enough to endure a close-range Psybeam, and quite frankly, neither was Ash.

That Psybeam was cogent and condensed; it wasn't a weak attack. Obviously, the training they had done over the past few days had paid off. Sabrina had gifted two of his pokemon tremendously. She had done all she could to give them a chance at defeating her league registered team. Now, it was up to him to capitalize.

Ash clenched his fist with satisfaction as Clefairy's tiny fist exploded up into Merlin's chin. Immediately after she made contact with the psychic pokemon, Merlin teleported. A smile formed across the ten-year-old boy's face when Merlin reappeared across the arena, directly in front of Sabrina. The kadabra tenderly rubbed his chin, where Clefairy had connected, before developing a small smirk on its face.

At that moment in time, Ash gulped. He'd never seen any kind of emotion out of a pokemon belonging to the abra line before. Kadabra were known for there robotlike dispositions, however, much like Sabrina, they weren't entirely incapable of depicting their emotions.

Judging by Merlin's expression, he had just garnered an extreme interest in this battle. It was the same rare expression that Sabrina made when she was highly interested in something. It was often said that after a while, certain aspects of a pokemon's trainer begin to rub off on them. If that was the case, Ash had a feeling that Clefairy was in trouble.

"What did I say, Merlin?" queried Sabrina as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Didn't I tell you that he wasn't the average challenger? You're going to have to actually try if you want to win this battle."

Ash watched as Merlin turned around and nodded at his master before refocusing his piercing gaze on Clefairy. The psychic-type raised his spoon once again while preparing for battle.

As soon as Merlin got in his battle stance, Ash began to rack his brain with strategy after strategy. One thing was for sure, he needed to be patient. Psychics didn't bear a typing that you could simply strike without thinking.

They needed to dissect Merlin's defense and wait for him to create an opening for them. Otherwise, the kadabra would simply use his ability to teleport in order to instantaneously vanish and counterattack. If Clefairy mindlessly attacked, it would become a tedious game of hit and run, and Clefairy would be the one getting run over.

The ten-year-old boy caught a glimpse of Clefairy preparing to take off into a sprint. Her muscles were contracted, and she was beginning to lean forward. Ash wasn't surprised. Clefairy was a warrior; she wasn't afraid of anything. The last thing that she would want to do was sit back on the defensive, but right now that was their best option. Merlin was too strong to take on headfirst. They would need to find another way. Otherwise, Clefairy didn't stand much of a chance, and Haunter would be stuck trying to defeat a completely healthy Merlin.

"Clefairy, wait," said Ash in a firm voice.

In subsequence to Ash's command, the fairy pokemon instantly relaxed her muscles before looking back at him in a confused manner.

"Be patient," continued Ash, "wait for him to make the first move and then retaliate. You'll be way better off. I'm sure he has all kinds of skills and tricks in order to counter whatever you throw at him. If you want to cause damage, you need to do it on the defensive like earlier. Wait for him to leave an opening, and when you find it, strike with everything. Now, is the time to prove your resiliency against a powerful opponent."

Responding to Ash's words, Clefairy disembogued an affirmative grunt before pounding her tiny fists together with confidence. Despite her brashness, Ash knew deep inside that this wasn't her battle to win. Howbeit, if she could do some meaningful damage, she just might be able to help Haunter take this beast down for the team.

Victory or defeat, this battle would be resolved with Haunter on the battlefield. He knew it, and Sabrina knew it. However, until then, Clefairy would do everything she could to make a difference, and it was Ash's job to help her out as much as he could…

All of a sudden, Merlin vanished, instantly putting Ash on edge. The kadabra's teleportation signified the beginning of chaos. Wherever Merlin reappeared, the next move would be made. The psi pokemon had only been feeling Clefairy out at first. From now on, the intensity of the battle had been multiplied. What happened in the next few moments would be nothing like before.

Seconds after Merlin's disappearance, Ash caught a glimpse of an auroral, purple light burning over to his right. He instantly transferred his line of sight, and as expected, a powerful kadabra stood with its spoon raised, doused in psychic energy. Merlin most likely had several psychic attacks that involved his conduit spoon, so Ash wasn't quite sure what technique the psychic-type was about to use. But, given its positioning, Ash assumed that it was about to unleash some kind of long-range technique.

"Get ready, Clefairy!" howled Ash as Merlin thrusted his hand forward, throwing the psychic energy in what initially looked like another Psybeam.

Clefairy's eyes widened as the strong, psychic wave streaked forward in her direction. At second glance, it definitely appeared to be different than the Psybeam that Merlin had used earlier. Its breadth outstretched Psybeam, and it didn't move through the air nearly as precipitously.

Ash quickly racked his brain in order to figure out what it was: Psychic, Confusion, Kinesis and Future Sight, none really matched. Ash had done some pretty thorough research regarding a kadabra's natural moveset, and none of the techniques he'd read about fit the description.

Psychic wasn't as thick, Confusion was more pink than purple, Kinesis involved bending spoons, and Future Sight was extremely delayed. This technique didn't look like anything that a kadabra could learn on its own.

sAsh cursed under his breath. He should have known Sabrina's team would be seasoned with multiple TM moves. The gym leader probably had access to a surplus of the artificial move tutors.

Getting hit by Merlin's current move could prove troublesome. There was no way he could decipher a technique that he had never seen nor researched. All he could really have Clefairy do is dodge. He didn't feel comfortable allowing her to endure a move that he didn't know the effects of.

"Get out of there!" commanded Ash with passion behind his words.

Clefairy instantly used the fast-twitch muscles in her legs to dash out of the way of the attack. Ash's stomach dropped when he couldn't see through the duration of the psychic shockwave—the thick blast clouded the arena, and Clefairy dodged to the side unavailable to Ash's vision.

When the attack ceased, Ash was relieved to find Clefairy unharmed and upright. She was still slightly winded from the Stored Power and being hit by the Psybeam, but she had managed to go unscathed by the unfamiliar psychic blast that Merlin had just used.

Unfortunately, Merlin gave Ash and Clefairy no room to breathe. He vanished and reappeared again, although this time he appeared on Clefairy's left. When he unveiled himself, his spoon was already drenched in psychic energy, and his arm was already motioning forward in order to release another psychic blast.

"Clefairy move—!" hollered Ash urgently before his voice was cut off by the loud echoing sound of kadabra's psychic assailment echoing throughout the Saffron Gym's arena.

This time, Clefairy dodged to the right, remaining within Ash's line of sight. She managed to avoid the attack for a second time by throwing her body to the side and rolling across the gym's tile floor. As soon as her momentum had slowed down enough to get back up to her feet, she did so. The fairy pokemon leaped up and out of her turbulent tumble before beginning to sprint alongside the wide stream of psychic energy.

Clefairy's back was turned to Ash, so he couldn't get a good look at her facial expression. But, if he had to guess, he'd say it was gallant. It was times like this when Clefairy really showed her true colors, which were those of a brave, female combatant. Whether she was attacking on the offensive or the defensive, Clefairy always battled moving forward. It was what made her such a highly respected member of Ash's team despite the fact that she was the only girl…

Suddenly, Clefairy came to a skidding halt when Merlin teleported right in front of her. Ash's eyes brightened as he witnessed the kadabra's spoon light up similarly to how it did when he used Psycho Cut.

Merlin proceeded to use his psychic lance to try and slash away at Clefairy. He initiated the close combat battle with two horizontal slashes that swiped through the air at an alarming rate. The fairy Pokemon managed to dodge the first one on her own, with a swift duck, before narrowly avoiding the second by using Minimize.

As soon as Clefairy dodged the second Psycho Cut, Merlin brought his psychic enshrouded spoon straight down, trying to catch Clefairy in the middle of Minimize. He managed to land a blow to Clefairy's right leg as she tried to dive out of the way. The fairy-type winced as she was hit, but the full-extent of the damage wasn't seen by Ash until she landed.

The fairy-type shrieked in pain as her right foot made contact with the ground. It appeared as though the kadabra had made pretty solid contact. However, despite her cry, it didn't appear as if she was hobbled too badly by the strike. She was still able to put weight on it, which meant that nothing had been broken, although she would most likely garner a nasty bruise.

Disregarding the pain, Clefairy sprinted forward, catching Merlin off guard because of her perseverance. She used her uninjured foot to leap into the air and managed to connect a two-hit Double Slap to the psychic-type's face. She was trying for a third, but the surprised kadabra finally garnered the sense to teleport away and reappear outside of Clefairy's limited reach.

"Clefairy, use Sing!" shouted Ash, realizing that it was the best way to create a solid opening.

Not wasting any time, Clefairy instantaneously emitted a smooth melody from her vocal chords. Of course, it was toned down and skewed to Ash's ears, so that he wouldn't suffer from its slumbering effects. However, the same couldn't be said about Merlin, who was beginning to rock back and forth due to the forced drowsiness.

"Snap out of it, Merlin!" commanded Sabrina sternly.

Unfortunately, for Sabrina and Merlin, the song was too strong to disregard. The kadabra slowly fell into a sitting position as he was overpowered by Clefairy's lullaby. As his body slouched down even further, his eyelids fought to stay open. Despite the fight, it eventually proved to be futile.

Merlin's eyes closed, and he began to snore. In his current state, his disposition was oddly similar to that of Sabrina's abra, Trace.

Undeterred by the ironic scene, Ash quickly sprang into action. He would have to be an idiot to think that Merlin would stay asleep for long. The kadabra was a powerful psychic-type, and if there was any pokemon that could quickly break free of an involuntary comatose, it was a psychic that spent the majority of its time honing its mind.

"Hit it with Pound as many times as possible!" cried Ash passionately. "This is your chance!"

Clefairy quickly used her uninjured leg to push off of the ground as she prepared to heed her trainers command. The fairy-type severed the small proximity between herself and Merlin in a heartbeat before burying her small, compact fist straight into Merlin's face.

There was a notable groan of discomfort that was let out by the kadabra, and for a second Ash was worried that it had already woken up. But, it didn't. In spite of the pain that Clefairy had just inflicted on Merlin's face, her song had been strong enough to keep him at bay.

Excitement started to stir within Ash's being. Maybe, just maybe, Clefairy could do more damage to Merlin than he originally anticipated.

Once Clefairy realized that her first Pound hadn't woken Merlin up, she immediately proceeded to throw both of her fists into his gut. There was an even louder groan this time, accompanied by an array of flying saliva, as the psychic-type responded to receiving both of Clefairy's fists.

This time, Ash saw Merlin start to stir. He was beginning to awaken. Clefairy's window was soon to close, and one more hit was probably all she would get.

"Wake-Up Slap, now!" screamed Ash at the top of his lungs.

He knew it was a fighting-type move, and psychics had the advantage against all pokemon and moves classified as fighting, but that didn't change the fact that a solid Wake-Up Slap seemed appropriate at the moment. Ash had no idea what would happen when Merlin woke up, although he had a feeling it wasn't going to be pretty.

Maybe getting woken up by a degrading technique like Wake-Up Slap would hurl the kadabra into a rampage of frustration. If Ash could manage that, he would have the advantage. The abra line was most effective when they were cool and collected. A kadabra fighting angrily and impulsively would ultimately help him out when Haunter entered the battle. His apparition would surely be able to handle Merlin in a state like that.

Anyways, hearing her trainer's plea, Clefairy quickly loaded her hand with focused energy before unloading a mighty strike straight across Merlin's face. Ash watched attentively as the kadabra's eyes briskly jerked open while Clefairy connected with the previously sleeping psi pokemon. There was a loud, pained cry as Clefairy's open palm launched Merlin across the arena.

When Merlin hit the ground and tumultuously rolled into the arena's wall, Ash clenched his fists in excitement. Things were going well, really well. He hadn't expected Clefairy to perform like this. Right now, she was winning. She was beating Sabrina's Kadabra. Maybe he was wrong. If things continued like this, it was possible he wouldn't need to use Haunter—

'_Don't get ahead of yourself, Ash Ketchum_,' said Sabrina, using telepathy.

In subsequence to Sabrina's warning, Merlin abruptly disappeared from his feeble positioning and reappeared right behind Clefairy. This time, the fairy-type was in shock. She hadn't been expecting kadabra to move so quickly. One second he had been pinned against the wall, moaning in pain, and now she could feel him looming behind her.

Ash's nerves flared up, and his stomach dropped, as he watched Merlin's spoon light up in between blinks. It was coated in dark psychic energy and appeared to be much more potent than anything he had shown up to this point.

Under most circumstances, Ash wouldn't be too worried. Clefairy was pretty quick and with the addition of Minimize, she could dodge most attacks. However, right now, she was exhausted. And she looked way too surprised to think straight. In short, this wasn't good. She was in a trouble.

With darkness in his eyes, Merlin thrusted his Psycho Cut straight into the side of Clefairy's head. The sound that his fairy pokemon let out upon impact sent a panicked chill down Ash's spine. He cringed even more when her eyes went blank, and she began to fall face first toward the ground.

"Clefairy!" howled Ash while he helplessly witnessed his fairy pokemon face-plant into Sabrina's indigo colored tile.

After shaking off the shock of Merlin's assailment, there was a moment of silence as Ash prepared to return Clefairy, and everyone soaked in what had just happened, before Sabrina spoke up.

"Clefairy is unable to battle," articulated Sabrina. "She fought well, Ash Ketchum. But it's time for you to return her, and release your next poke—"

—Unexpectedly, Sabrina's voice was cut off by the sound of an explosion. Ash looked up, and temporarily took his finger off of the return button, as he tried to process what he was witnessing.

The arena was flooded with fading, white light while the explosion caused by the immense Stored Power disappeared into oblivion. When the obscuration from the momentous, unexpected energy blast completely disappeared, Ash rubbed the glare out of his eyes before examining the scene in front of him.

What he saw from Clefairy didn't surprise him. She lay flat on her face, clearly unconscious. There was a brief moment that Ash was worried that his fairy pokemon had exhausted too much energy, but from his current position, he could see that she was breathing normally. So, at least she wasn't in any kind of critical condition.

All of his worries were diminished when Sabrina spoke into his mind using her telepathy and said, "_Do not fret, Ash Ketchum. Clefairy is just fine. She may need to spend a couple days resting, but her condition is not serious. She is merely exhausted."_

Once Ash had realized that Clefairy was okay, he looked out at Merlin, who was upright, albeit clearly looked as though he had accumulated a hefty sum of damage. Ash wasn't quite able to deduce how much of it had been done by Clefairy's Sing/Pound combination as opposed to how much of it was a result of her last-ditch Stored Power.

That didn't matter. What mattered was that Clefairy had done more than Ash had ever thought she would, which meant that they had a very realistic shot at taking down Sabrina.

"Your Clefairy is incredibly impressive," said Sabrina as she looked over her battered kadabra. "During our training together, I could tell she was talented. However, this goes beyond my expectations. To think that she could do _this_ to Merlin…"

She shook her head as she paused, "I never would have guessed. But, then again, I'm not using my psychic powers to foresee the result of this battle. Therefore, I have chosen to keep your clefairy's full-strength unknown to my mind."

Ash nodded his head while he pressed the return button on Clefairy's pokeball. She was instantly blanketed in a ray of ruby red light prior to being sucked back into sequester. In subsequence to the return of his valiant, fairy pokemon, the ten-year-old boy whispered words of gratitude to her pokeball before reattaching it to his trainer belt.

"Thank you for giving me a fair battle up to this point, Sabrina," retorted Ash as he reached for Haunter's great ball. "It means a lot, however, it's time we end this."

"I couldn't agree more, Ash Ketchum," answered Sabrina with one of her rare smirks, "send out Haunter and give us everything you've got. Do not think for a second that this battle is over. Merlin may be a bit beat up, but he has plenty of fight left in him. Do not hold back."

"Oh…I won't!" howled Ash as he winded back his arm in preparation to launch Haunter's great ball. "This is a gym battle after all!"

Ash watched as Merlin looked up at the impending great ball with focused eyes before getting into a defensive position. Despite his present condition, it was clear that Merlin had a fare amount of fight left in him. As a matter of fact, Ash thought he could see a twinkle of enjoyment in the kadabra's countenance. It was probably rare that the evolved psi pokemon was pushed to its limit…

After momentarily soaring through the air, Haunter's great ball clicked open before casting loose an illumination of brilliant light. It lasted for a couple of seconds prior to dying out. When it completely dissipated, Haunter's corporeal form was revealed levitating above the indigo colored tile.

The ghost-type let out his signature guffaw in precedence to looking over Merlin with his slanted eyes. After a quick observation, Haunter drifted down into one of the vast shadows that was being delineated across the floor and immediately reemerged directly in front of Ash.

"Hey, Haunter," greeted Ash as he darted his eyes back and forth between his ghost-type and Merlin. "We're in the middle of our gym battle. Clefairy battled well. All that's left is for you to defeat this kadabra, and we get the Marsh Badge. Clefairy did a lot of damage, so it's up to you to finish what she started. Got it?"

Haunter disembogued another round of ghoulish laughter except this time it bore a hint of sincere emotion. Ash could tell that Haunter wanted to win this battle for him. It was the ghost pokemon's first gym battle after all, and he knew that a win would make Ash proud.

Of course, Ash would be proud no matter how Haunter fared, but he understood where the poltergeist was coming from. On account of his devilish alter-ego, he had caused Ash quite a lot of worry as of late. Knowing the type of pokemon Haunter was, he definitely wanted to repay Ash's kindness with a win.

Now, Ash would never hold a grudge or ostracize Haunter because of his situational, aberrant behavior, but who was he to talk Haunter down from his own personal concept of debt. If giving Sabrina everything he had would help boost his self-esteem, Ash wouldn't stand in the apparition's way.

Besides, he'd have to be a complete and utter fool to talk Haunter down from his current mind state. The ghost-type was clearly focused and ready for battle, which most certainly raised Ash's chances at victory. A resolute Haunter didn't bode well for Merlin. Not only did Haunter have the type-advantage, but he was a dynamic specimen and quite possibly the strongest member of Ash's team.

He could be a bit of a wildcard, and his personality was way more complex than most pokemon. However, one thing was certain. Haunter was strong, and Ash had a feeling he was about to prove that fact once again in this battle.

Ash's rumination was cut short when Haunter blasted forward, leaving a gaseous trail in his wake. He sped through the air at an expeditious rate, causing Merlin's eyes to widen with anticipation.

Ash could feel the adrenaline surge within him as the two evolved, mystic pokemon were about to clash. The climax of the battle was being initiated, and the entirety of Ash's being knew it.

This would be _fun._

"Haunter, engage with Shadow Punch!" bellowed Ash, taking the reigns.

Hearing his trainer's command, Haunter raised one of his disembodied fists while charging it with dark purple energy. The ghostly energy stirred throughout the gym's enclosed atmosphere, sending a familiar chill that traveled throughout Ash's body.

"Meet it with Psycho Cut!" howled Sabrina, providing Merlin with her first trainer command of the battle.

Once again, Merlin covered his spoon in a confluence of psychic energy in precedence to raising it above his head. Ash gulped. Without a doubt, this collision would be nasty. The amount of energy that was being emitted by both pokemon was awe-inspiring.

About a second before they engaged each other, Ash crossed his fingers. Haunter's Shadow Punch had the type-advantage, but Merlin was emitting a ridiculous amount of energy in order to nullify it. The psychic energy that was blanketing Merlin's spoon was so powerful that it actually grated against the atmosphere, causing an anguishing hiss.

Be that as it may, Ash didn't have enough time to really process just how amazing each technique was on its own. All thoughts of astonishment were pushed aside when the two powers met.

At first, there was an ear-shatter clap that sounded like a shotgun being fired. However, as the two attacks fought for dominance, the sound that they created resembled that of a howl. It was like both energies were screaming out in pain as they tried to destroy each other's essence. It was as if the energy itself was wailing while it died.

The eventual result was a large explosion that extended to the edge of both trainer boxes. Ash was curious as to whether the explosion had naturally stopped, directly in front of him, or if Sabrina was using some kind of psychic barrier to protect them. Either way, they were unharmed.

However, he couldn't say the same thing about Haunter and Merlin.

Ash's ghost-type hadn't taken too much damage, but judging by the pain depicting cringe that was currently occupying the apparition's face, it was clear that the explosion had stung at the very least.

Merlin was obviously the worse for wear. The explosion had simply added to his already heavy agglomeration of pain. His body was shaking, and his eyes looked tired. The kadabra's grip on his spoon was loosening as his body grew weaker, and his burly shoulders were beginning to slouch.

All of a sudden, amidst all of his exhaustion, Merlin's grip tightened around his spoon as he proceeded to fire a Psybeam at Haunter. It streaked throughout the air at a high velocity, causing Haunter to escape by dropping into the ground and fading out of the corporeal world.

When the Psybeam disappeared, Ash, along with everyone else in the arena, spent a moment trying to locate Haunter until he revealed himself. Unexpectedly, Haunter reemerged from concealment right in front of Merlin. Ash looked ahead with excitement as Haunter swung a fist coated with black energy at the kadabra, but his splutter of joy was precipitously smashed when Merlin teleported away.

Unlike Haunter, Merlin instantly reappeared adjacent to Haunter prior to unloading another one of those slow, widespread psychic waves that Ash was unfamiliar with. This time, Haunter was caught off guard by the psychic-type's teleportation and was unable to dodge or vanish into incorporeality.

Ash cringed as Haunter let out a cry after being hit by the strange psychic move. However, he relaxed a little bit when Haunter dissipated into incorporeality immediately after the duration of the attack and rematerialized behind Merlin.

In subsequence of the reappearance of Haunter's corporeal form, the apparition emanated a dark purple ray that Ash immediately recognized as Night Shade. Once again, the psi pokemon proved just how fast it could move, by means of teleportation, as it vanished in precedence to showing up on the opposite side of the battlefield, directly in front of Sabrina.

"Confuse Ray!" bellowed Ash, "to your left!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Haunter waved his fingers and an ominous, dark purple wave of energy was cast upon the kadabra. It was thick, murky and looked like a cloud full of toxins. Ash wasn't quite sure why Merlin didn't teleport away, but it most likely had something to do with his high-level of exhaustion. Teleportation wasn't limitless after all, it required energy. And energy was something that the kadabra was presently running low on.

As soon as the Confuse Ray ceased, Ash could tell right away that kadabra was confused. Its eyes looked unintelligent and were dilated, whereas its body swayed back and forth, clearly lacking stable balance.

Upon realization that Merlin had been confused, Ash clenched his fist with anticipation. The kadabra was already exhausted, confusion on top of exhaustion didn't bode well for the psychic-type's chances at victory. However, undeterred by the fact that things were leaning towards victory, Ash refused to lose focus until Merlin was completely unconscious.

"Be prepared for anything!" shouted Ash. "It's on its last leg, but the Confuse Ray's made it unpredictable!"

Haunter nodded his entire body in response to Ash's exclamation, while Merlin started to lash out due to his currently deranged mind state. At first, his confusion symptoms were worrisome. He began his rampage of befuddlement by randomly shooting a multitude of Psybeams and by sporadically slashing away at his surroundings with Psycho Cut.

There were several instances where Merlin nearly struck Haunter out of luck, but every time he got close, the ghost-type was able to evade the mindless attack. This went on for quite a bit, all the while, Haunter was using Night Shade from a distance in order to slowly eat away at the kadabra's remaining energy.

While the kadabra was getting closer and closer to comatose, Ash watched as Sabrina stood attentive with her arms folded. She hadn't said a word for a while now, and Ash was starting to get the impression that she had left the battle in Merlin's hands a long time ago.

Either that, or Sabrina was still communicating using telekinesis. However, Ash highly doubted that. Not only was Sabrina more lax than she usually was, but Merlin didn't seem like he was in a position to be receptive to her mental voice. The kadabra was exhausted, and his confusion was overwhelming.

In Ash's opinion, Sabrina's calm disposition could only mean one of two things. Either she knew something that Ash didn't, and Merlin had an outcome altering trick up his sleeve, or she had already accepted the fact that this match was over, and there was no reason to struggle.

Ash was banking on the latter.

"Finish this now!" howled Ash, "Shadow Punch!"

In response to Ash's command, Haunter enveloped both of his fists in shadowy aura. As the ghostly energy stirred, it shrieked within the gym's enclosed, stagnant environment.

While Haunter closed in on Merlin, the psi pokemon remained in a disgruntled and deranged state, using his conduit spoon at random to spew repetitive Psybeams all over the arena. In route to delivering the final blow, Haunter was forced to faze in and out of the corporeal world several times in order to reach Merlin without getting hurt.

Once Haunter was close enough to strike, he disembogued a loud, triumphant guffaw as he buried both of his fists into Merlin's gut. The psychic-type's eyes bulged, and it was clear that he was in pain, but he didn't let out even the slightest hint of a noise.

Kadabra weren't very vocal pokemon to begin with, so Ash wasn't too surprised. However, to get hit by an attack like that and not make a noise meant that he must have had the wind knocked out of him. Within a mere couple of seconds, Merlin's eyes went from full and active to empty and slanted as he passed into comatose. It wasn't until Merlin fell backward, due to momentum, that his unconscious form finally released a loud, desperate gasp for air.

In concurrence to the moment that Merlin hit the ground, the ghostly energy that was blanketing Haunter's fists evaporated, leaving a laughing Haunter levitating above the defeated kadabra's body.

Ash watched in astonishment as Haunter made his way back over to his trainer. He was slightly winded, and he winced a couple of times as he made his way back, but he was in much better shape than Ash would have originally anticipated.

It wasn't until Ash heard the familiar, jovial howl of his best friend, Growlithe, coming from up above that it finally sunk in.

He'd won. He had defeated Sabrina. He had finally won his third gym battle and had earned the right to bear the Marsh Badge.

A feeling of insurmountable joy welled up inside him as Haunter got within arms reach. An enormous grin stretched across his face, and he couldn't help but jump up and down with glee while the entire scope of the win flooded throughout his being.

"Great job, Haunter!" exclaimed Ash as he embraced his ghost-type's corporeal body in a friendly hug of affection. "I don't know what to say! You and Clefairy were unbelievable! I'm so proud of you guys!"

While Haunter let out a cheerful array of laughter, Ash finally noticed the cheers of his friends in the stands, accompanying Growlithe's celebratory howl. All Ash could do was laugh when he heard a surplus of ridiculous praise that without a doubt was coming from Bill. The pokemon researcher's loud, charismatic voice even drowned out Growlithe's as it echoed against the arena's walls.

Taking his eyes off of his ecstatic Haunter, Ash looked up in the stands when he heard Growlithe's proud barks and his friends' triumphal cheers sound closer in proximity. When his line of sight shifted, he saw that Growlithe, Wallace, Robert and Bill were making their way down the stands toward the battlefield.

Ash flashed them a massive smile as they continued to wave and cheer before his attention was suddenly grabbed by the sound of Sabrina's monotonous voice.

"Good job, Ash Ketchum," said Sabrina as she handled Merlin's capture device. "You handled your pokemon very well. Merlin hasn't been beaten like that in a long time. I have to admit, I am impressed."

"Thanks, Sabrina," replied the ten-year-old boy as he petted Haunter between his spikes, "I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you so much for your help with Haunter and Clefairy's mental barriers. It means a lot."

A rare, small smile appeared on Sabrina's face as she reattached Merlin's pokeball to her belt, who she must have returned at some point during the celebration. "It was a pleasure, my friend. It was the least I could do to repay you for all that you have done for Robert and my city."

Ash couldn't help but reciprocate Sabrina's smile, although it wasn't hard since he had been wearing an enormous grin ever since the battle had ended. Just when he thought he couldn't get any happier, he was proven wrong when he was playfully knocked to the ground by none other than Growlithe, who had apparently beaten the rest of his friends down to the battlefield.

After making contact with the ground, Ash had to shield his face with his hands as he tried to avoid getting slobbered on by the puppy pokemon's tongue. Despite the fact that Growlithe was a pup, it was rare that he showed his affection through licking. Nevertheless, when he did, it was usually overwhelming. No matter how much he loved his starter, he'd rather not receive a bath by means of Growlithe's saliva.

While he was being smothered with affection by his fire-type, Ash heard the sound of several converging footsteps accompanied by Wallace's elegant voice.

"Well done, Ash!" exclaimed the foreign Champion as he steadily approached him. "That was a well managed battle. Your pokemon fought well, and you commanded them skillfully when you needed to. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," stammered Ash, slightly overwhelmed by the Champion's praise. "Was it worth sticking around for?"

"Absolutely," replied the Champion with a definite nod. "Words cannot describe how happy I am that I got to make it."

"Good," answered Ash with a smile, "I'm happy you enjoyed it—"

"It was a bloody damn good battle!" interrupted Robert as he patted Ash on the back. "He better have enjoyed it. You've got even more skill than I remember, Ash. I'm glad Bill talked me into rescheduling my meeting with the board. That was exhilarating."

"You rescheduled a meeting to watch me battle?" asked Ash with curious eyes.

"Bill told me I couldn't miss it," said Robert as he fixed his suit, "and he was right."

"_Psht, _I don't know how you ever planned on missing it in the first place!" retorted Bill. "It was a battle between your adopted daughter and my friend. I would have left a bloody shit in the middle of headquarter's lobby if you didn't come!"

"Whatever you say, son," laughed Robert sarcastically. "You've been using that empty threat for years. How do you expect me to believe that you'll crap in headquarter's lobby when you're too afraid to use a public lavatory?"

Ash, Wallace and Sabrina snickered while Bill's face turned as red as a tomato.

"Dad…" drawled Bill, "You promised you'd never say anything."

Robert huffed before he responded. "And you've promised me a million times that you would stop threatening to crap in my bloody lobby. Consider us even, son."

"Bloody geezer," cursed Bill under his breath before letting out a forced cough, signifying that he wanted to change the subject.

"Well, anyways…" crooned Bill in a melodramatic tone of voice as he turned his attention back over to Ash. "That was a great battle, Ash! You made me proud to be your friend!"

The pokemon researcher glanced over at Sabrina for a brief moment before looking at Ash in a humorous way, "You really took it to that bloody witch. I've never seen her so frazzled. She didn't know what to do, especially once you confused her kadabra."

In response to Bill's idiotic comment, he received a death glare from saffron's prestigious gym leader. "Bill Montgomery, your idiotic behavior never ceases to amaze me."

"Oh, shut it, Sabrina," Bill sighed with a smirk. "It was just a jest. As much as I hate to admit it, we all know what you are truly capable of."

"Do you now?" queried Sabrina with vacant eyes in precedence to shifting her gaze down toward Ash, Growlithe and Haunter. "Anyways, let's not take this moment away from, Ash Ketchum. This is an important moment for him. I'd rather not spoil it with our trivial banter."

"I agree," interjected Wallace with his arms folded. "Ash still hasn't received Sabrina's badge."

"Your right,"said Bill with a cynical expression. "What the hell, Sabrina, are you trying to screw over my friend here? Give him his bloody badge already."

"Would you please just shut up, Bill," replied Wallace before Sabrina had a chance to wring the obnoxious pokemon researcher out with her psionic powers, "you're being an utter idiot."

"Am not," scoffed Bill, clearly offended.

He proceeded to fold his arms before looking at Ash for support, "Right, Ash?"

"Sorry, Bill," answered Ash with a shrug as he scratched behind Growlithe's ears, "but I'm going to have to side with the others this time. You're being an idiot."

The pokemon researcher froze with a look that portrayed hurt. Ash was one of his only friends after all, so anytime the ten-year-old boy had to give Bill some hard truth, it usually took him a while to process. Nevertheless, it had to be said. What kind of friend would he be if he didn't try and help point out when Bill was acting ridiculous? The stubborn billionaire didn't listen to anyone else, so Ash really didn't have a choice.

He had to be the one that pointed out Bill's flaws every once in a while. It was one of the many roles of being a good friend.

"Well, now that Bill Montgomery's been put in his place, I guess it's time I hand over your winnings," said Sabrina as she drew Ash's attention away from the now sulking pokemon researcher."

Ash's eyes lit up with anticipation. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time. The Marsh Badge signified his progress as a trainer. Not only was it Sabrina's badge, but it was also his third, which meant that from this point forward, he would no longer be battling gym leader's league registered teams.

He had finally completed the preliminary battles of the Kanto Gym Circuit. From this point forward, his journey was about to get a lot more challenging.

His rumination was cut short when two familiar alakazam appeared out of nowhere. Ash had to carefully look them over to figure out their specific identities, but after a couple of seconds, he was able to decipher that they were Sabrina's two strongest alakazam: Kaz and Midna.

"Ash Ketchum, hold out your hands," said Sabrina as everyone else in the arena remained silent and watched."

The ten-year-old boy didn't question the psychic virtuoso. He held out his hands, obeying Sabrina while he waited for what was about to unfold.

"On account of your victory at the Saffron Gym," said Sabrina, "I, Sabrina Marvil, grant you with the Marsh Badge as proof of your victory."

In subsequence to Sabrina's words, Ash watched as Kaz crossed his spoons. The next thing the dark-haired boy knew he was holding a golden circular trinket in his palms. Its design was extremely simple, consisting of one small circle resting within one larger circle.

Ash stared at it for a couple of seconds in awe, reflecting on its prestigious significance, before placing it in one of his jacket pockets. He would have stuck it in his badge case right away, but he's left it on his backpack, which was sitting on the bed that he had been staying at in the gym.

"Thanks so—" managed Ash prior to an unexpected interruption from Sabrina.

"Hold off on the gratitude," said Sabrina with a minute smirk. "I have one more thing to give you."

"What," questioned Ash, bewildered, "there is something else? But, haven't you already done enough for me?"

"Ash Ketchum, after what you've done for Robert and Saffron," said Sabrina, "I don't know if I could ever adequately repay you. However, that is beside the point. The other thing that I want to give you is actually the final part of your mental barrier training."

"Huh?" asked Ash. "What do you mean?"

"Hold out your hands again," said Sabrina.

"Um…okay," drawled Ash while doing what he was told. "But, how could you give me something that will complete my mental barrier training? I'm confu—"

"Midna, now," interrupted Sabrina.

Ash attentively observed Midna as she proceeded to cross her spoons just like Kaz had moments prior. All of a sudden, Ash's hands got heavier when something abruptly materialized within them.

He reflexively looked down, curious as to what Sabrina had given him. As soon as he laid his eyes on it, they lit up jubilantly.

"Is this what I think it is?" asked Ash with excitement brewing in his intonation.

"That depends," answered Sabrina with a hint of interest in her eyes. "What do you think it is?"

Ash looked over the small, black cardboard box that had the number twenty-nine printed on it in large, white letters. Following the number was the word, Psychic_, _which happened to be printed in dark purple letters.

"It's a Psychic TM, right?" asked Ash.

"Correct," answered Sabrina with a proud look in her eyes. "Inside of that box, written on a disk, is the information required to teach Clefairy or Haunter Psychic. Both species are compatible with the TM."

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" exclaimed Ash as he joyfully looked up from the box that the TM occupied. "This will be a big help!"

"Sabrina provided the information required to make that TM," said Robert, chiming back into the conversation. "It's applicable to almost two hundred different species spread oute across the world."

"Really!?" blustered Ash. "That's so cool! This is awesome, Sabrina, I can't wait to use it!"

"It's not a big deal," retorted Sabrina blankly. "Robert gets me them for free, since I helped design them. I figured that since you are heading to Celadon, you would be getting a TM case pretty soon. Once you get your TM case, you can apply that Psychic TM to either Clefairy or Haunter. Not only will it be a good technique to use in battle, but it will also give you a means to use external psychic exposure in order to put up mental barriers over the rest of your pokemons' psyches."

Ash took a moment to soak in the significance of the gift before finally responding.

"Wow…" drawled Ash, "that's awesome. I don't know what to say."

"There's no need to say anything," said Sabrina, "You earned it. It is my gift to you for everything that you've done."

Ash simply nodded his head. Words couldn't describe how happy he was. Not only had he won the Marsh Badge, but he had also gotten a TM that would open the door for all of his pokemon to be able to compete with psychics—.

"_Ring…"_

"_Ring…"_

"_Ring…"_

The moment was cut off as everyone except for Ash checked their pockets to see if the pokegear that was going off belonged to them. Ash examined the xtranceiver on his wrist to make sure that it wasn't him.

The situation was resolved when Wallace pulled his flashing pokegear out of one of his pant pockets.

"One second," said Wallace as he walked away from the group in order to take the call in private, "I've got to take this."

"_Click."_

In subsequence to Wallace picking up the phone, everybody else mingled amongst each other until he returned to the group a few minutes later. As he approached them, a look of disappointment formed across his face prior to addressing them.

"Well…" sighed Wallace, "that was a League official from Hoenn. Apparently, there's a taxi waiting for me outside. I've got to get to the airport ASAP. My flight leaves in a couple of hours."

Ash frowned, although he wasn't surprised. He knew that Wallace would be leaving soon. However, even though he knew that it was coming, it was still difficult to hear. In a short amount of time, Wallace had become like an older brother to him. The last thing he wanted was for that older brother to leave, especially when leaving meant that he would be going to a faraway region like Hoenn.

"Don't give me that look, kiddo," said Wallace as he playfully messed up Ash's cap. "We'll stay in touch. Besides, I'll see you again at the League tournament. Hoenn's season starts later thank Kanto's, so the conference tournament isn't until August. There shouldn't be anything keeping me in Hoenn when Kanto's conference is held at the Indigo Plateau."

"Really?!" exclaimed Ash, excited at the thought of Wallace watching him battle at the tournament.

"Yup, unless there's an emergency, I'll be there," said Wallace before directing his attention away from Ash and toward everyone else. "I take it I'll see you guys there as well."

"It's mandatory for gym leaders to attend," retorted Sabrina, "so I will be there."

"I'll be there," added Robert with a big grin. "I haven't missed the Indigo Conference in twenty years."

"I'm coming," said Bill, gloomily. "I can't miss Ash battle. Besides, I'm pretty sure I already promised Lance that I'd make an appearance.

Ash pivoted his eyes toward Growlithe, and then over to Haunter, as his friends shared their plans to attend the League tournament. "You hear that guys? Everyone's coming to watch us battle; we better not disappoint 'em."

Growlithe let out a proud bark, and Haunter emitted his usual ghoulish guffaw in response to Ash's words.

"Well, anyways," interrupted Wallace as he prepared to make his way around the group in order to give everyone a friendly goodbye handshake, "I probably shouldn't make the taxi driver wait any longer. I'm going to head out. I'll see all of you at the conference."

"Goodbye, my friend," retorted Robert sincerely. "Have a safe trip. We'll keep in touch."

"Farewell, Champion Wallace," said Sabrina. "Thank you so much for coming to Robert and Saffron's aid. We couldn't have stopped Team Rocket without you."

"Tootles, Wallace," crooned Bill, who seemed to be getting over his overemotional mood shift. "Don't get your cape stuck in the front door."

Wallace simply ignored Bill's predictable snide remark as he dropped his eyes down to Ash's level.

"Bye Wall—"

"Ash, could you please accompany me to the taxi," interrupted Wallace as he began to back away towards the front entrance. "There's something I would like to discuss with you before I leave."

"Um…sure," drawled Ash, unsure of how to reply.

As Ash, Growlithe and Haunter started to trail Wallace out of the arena, Bill tried to follow them.

"Just, Ash," said Wallace sternly as he turned around and gestured for Bill to leave them alone. "I'm sorry, Bill, but I would like to talk with Ash in private before I leave."

Ash could tell that Bill was about to protest, so he too gestured for him to stay put. Ash could tell that Bill was slightly hurt that he couldn't tag along, but he would have to get over it. Whatever Wallace wanted to say to him must be important if he didn't feel comfortable saying it in front of everyone else.

"Whatever," snarled Bill as he turned around and walked the other way. "I didn't want to come anyways."

Ash ignored Bill's childish behavior, for now, as he continued to follow Wallace out of the gym. Unlike Bill, Sabrina and Robert let them leave without saying a word. It was clear that they respected a Champion's request for privacy.

"So, what's this about?" asked Ash as soon as they were far away not to be heard.

"Hang tight," replied Wallace as he sporadically shifted his suspicious gaze, "I'll tell you as soon as we exit gym."

Ash nodded as they continued to make their way out of the gym. All the while, his nerves were starting to spike. What was it that Wallace wanted to tell him? Why would he pull him off to the side like this? Was it important? What could it possibly be?

XXX

The ten-year-old boy's stomach dropped, and his nerves heightened, as he watched the taxi disappear in the distance.

Wallace had left.

After the last couple weeks of insanity, the Champion had finally departed for his home region. Under normal circumstances, Ash wouldn't be as upset as he was. He knew he would keep in touch with Wallace; he understood that he would be seeing him again.

However, after the information bomb that Wallace had just dropped on him, he couldn't help but feel sick while watching Wallace leave.

If what Wallace had told him was true, Kanto was in trouble. They needed all of the help they could get, and Wallace was the strongest trainer that Ash had ever met. Kanto needed him, but that wasn't possible because he had his own region to protect.

Of course, they always had Lance. However, Ash had a tough time believing that even Lance could stop what Team Rocket was hiding.

Damn, who would have ever guessed that they had been up to something so sinister?

No wonder they had disappeared for five years. The little bit of information that Sabrina had ripped from Ariana's mind had completely blown him away.

He had expected something foreboding. Austin had opened him up to the thought that Team Rocket could be after a legendary, but this was _way_ worse.

Hopefully, Sabrina had been mistaken. Maybe it was all just a misunderstanding. But, deep down inside, he knew it was true. Wallace believed it, and Sabrina believed it, and both of them were two of the most credible people he knew.

Howbeit, maybe if he denied it, it would never come to pass. But, then again, he knew he was just fooling himself.

Everything made sense now. The facts had finally come together, and everything had aligned.

Team Rocket had a secret weapon—a weapon that they were waiting patiently to unveil.

If it weren't for this mission, they wouldn't have found out about it. At least something good came out of this whole fiasco. Now they knew what Team Rocket was planning. Something so dastardly that even Sabrina had been rattled by what was about to unfold.

He didn't know when, all he knew was that it was soon. Wallace guessed that they would strike before the Indigo conference. The Champion assumed that their secret would be revealed around the end of the League season.

Ash didn't know what he could do to help. He didn't know how he could stop what was coming. The only thing he could think of was to get stronger, so that he wouldn't simply whither away when this storm finally came to pass.

Ariana's mind revealed that a monster dwelled within Kanto: a beast so powerful that it made a dragonite look like something less than a caterpie.

Sabrina couldn't garner a name, but its origin wasn't natural.

It was an abomination, resembling a creature that had only been mentioned in ancient legends. Ariana had said that she had been exposed to psychic levels that even Sabrina couldn't match, and she was right.

The truth behind Team Rocket's agenda was worse than anything any of them could have imagined. There master plan involved a psychic-type, who's DNA was spliced from the legendary Mew itself.

Simply put, regardless of how chaotic the last few weeks had been, they were a walk in the park compared to what was to come.

Sometime in the near future, evil in its purest form would be descending upon Kanto, and even Champion Lance wouldn't be able to put a stop to it

Hopefully, fate had an answer.

XXX

To be continued…

XXX

A/N: Well, there it is Kanto 7. Sorry for the wait, but I honestly couldn't help it. This chapter was super long, and I had a ton of stuff going on. I will try to get a chapter out in October, but my wedding is next month, so that might be kind of difficult. However, I will be diligently working on Kanto 8, which will include a tour of Silph Co., the send-off to Celadon, and the trip to Celadon. It should be a lot fun getting Ash on the road again. Anyways, thank you for your patience. Don't forget to favorite, follow and review! You guys have been great so far. Also, if you have any questions, send me a PM. I'm always willing to answer!

Much Love, _vincentgrey21_


	8. Kanto 8

A/N: I just want to say thank you to all of you for being patient. The past couple of months may have been slow for me writing wise, but my wedding was amazing, and my wife and I have had a wonderful first month of marriage. You guys have been so great and understanding!

Here is Kanto 8, I hope you enjoy it. It may be a little different because of the fact that it primarily focuses on the human characters and their relationships. Please keep in mind while you are reading that Ash will be on his own again next chapter, so that's why this one focuses more on his relationships with Austin, Robert, Bill and Sabrina rather than his pokemon.

Kanto 8: Essence

"How does it feel to finally get some fresh air?" asked Ash as he and Austin stepped out of the backseat of the taxi that had taken them from the Pokemon Center to Silph Co. headquarters.

"Pretty damn good," retorted Austin while stretching his muscles after the short ride. "I thought I was going to go crazy in that freaking place. I'll never look at pokemon centers the same. A week in that place was overkill."

"Makes sense," said Ash with a shrug while shifting his line of sight over to the gargantuan skyscraper that stood before him. "A couple of days were enough for me."

"Lucky bastard," answered Austin, clearly jealous. "You were at the gym getting special training from Sabrina, while I was in a hospital bed twiddling my thumbs. It's instances like this where I am reminded that the world definitely isn't fair."

"That's for sure," muttered Ash, thinking back to the conversation that he had partaken in with Wallace right before he left for Hoenn.

After his discussion with Wallace, involving the information Sabrina had ripped from Ariana's mind, the ten-year-boy couldn't help but blame destiny for allowing Team Rocket to create a weapon capable of scaring even the likes of Wallace and Sabrina.

It wasn't fair. It simply wasn't fair that evil was brewing within Kanto's shadows and even some of the strongest trainers in Kanto didn't know how to put a stop to it.

It was wasn't fair that Ash was one of the few people in the region that knew about Team Rocket's plot, and he wasn't even close to being strong enough to do anything about it.

It pissed him off; the world was downright unjust. He had learned that just a few months into his journey.

All he could do was strive to get stronger and pray that everything would eventually work itself out. Obliviousness would have certainly led to their demise. The fact that they were now aware that Team Rocket was in possession of a creature that was probably as strong as a Legendary, meant that they could come up with a plan.

Potential for a plan gave Ash hope, and as long as there was a sliver of hope, the ten-year-old boy would keep his head up.

"Is that crap about Team Rocket's _creation_ still bothering you?" asked Austin as they weaved their way passed the confluence of people that were passing by Silph Co. headquarters.

"Yeah," said Ash with a sigh, "I can't stop thinking about it…"

"I was like that all day yesterday," muttered the teenager while diverting his gaze toward the ground.

Prior to watching Ash's gym battle, Wallace had told Austin about the abomination while saying goodbye to him back at the Pokemon Center. Apparently, the Champion had deemed the information that Sabrina had ripped from Ariana's mind essential for both of them to know.

Either that, or destiny had revealed to Sabrina that they had to know, and she made the decision that Wallace was the most suitable person to tell them.

Whatever the case may be, Austin was now also aware of Team Rocket's abomination, which meant that he was currently in the middle of processing the same gut wrenching truth that Ash was.

"How are you coping, now?" asked Ash with curious eyes. "You seem to be handling it better than me."

"I'm just trying not to think about it too much," retorted Austin with a shrug. "I realized yesterday that worrying is useless. Until we know more, we can't do anything to change the situation."

"True..." drawled Ash as they approached one of the skyscraper's automatic, revolving front doors, "but if we don't think about it, how are we going to stop it from happening?"

"I'm not saying that I'm not going to think about it at all," said Austin as he looked Ash in the eyes. "I'm just saying that there is a time and place for everything. Right now, there is nothing the two of us can do. As soon as we get more information from Sabrina, I'll revisit the topic. But, for my own sanity's sake, I'm going to enjoy this tour and then focus on getting back to Johto."

"Gotcha'," said Ash as thoughts of his own journey popped up in his head, "I guess there's only so much we can control."

"Exactly," said Austin with a wink before gesturing towards the door. "Now, what do you say we go inside?"

"Yeah," retorted Ash with a smile and a nod, trying to take Austin's advice and suppress his thoughts about Team Rocket, "let's go."

XXX

"Welcome, boys!" exclaimed Robert as he greeted them in the copious, bustling lobby.

To Ash and Austin's surprise, Robert was sitting in one of the first floor's, luxury lounges, enjoying a cup of coffee with Bill, Sabrina and roughly a dozen straight-faced, intimidating men and women wearing pristine, red ACE trainer uniforms.

The lounge was located right inside of the front entrance, so it hadn't taken all but a minute for the head of the Montgomery family to track them down.

"Hey, guys," retorted Ash with a look of befuddlement on his face.

Austin barely managed a wave while a confused expression formulated upon his mug.

They hadn't been expecting Robert to meet them down on the first-level. Both of them figured that with everything that had gone on over the past couple of weeks, Robert wouldn't want to make an appearance on one of the floors that was available to the public.

Under normal circumstances, a public appearance by Robert Montgomery would draw a ton of attention. Given that less than a week ago, Silph Co. had revealed to the world that their CEO had survived the SS _Anne _catastrophe when everyone in the world thought he had been killed, things would be even crazier.

Ash figured that the public levels of Silph Co. headquarters were always busy, but it was rather evident that the first floor's current status was far from the norm.

There were thousands of people crowded together a short ways away from the lounge. Their eyes were glued on Robert as he gave them no mind, keeping his attention centered on Ash and Austin.

The onlookers were being kept at bay by a plethora of ACE trainers, who were dressed in the same red uniforms as the people sitting around Robert, Bill and Sabrina. Each one of them appeared to be armed with at least six pokeballs fastened around their individual trainer belts. Ash wasn't sure, but he assumed that at this point Silph Co. was being guarded by authentic ACE trainers and not mere trainees.

After the precedent events, there was no way that the League hadn't sent out some of its best to guard their beloved Robert Montgomery.

"Come and sit down while I finish my coffee," said Robert as he stood up from his seat and pulled two chairs over to the small table that he, Bill, and Sabrina currently sat at. "Don't mind the people. We've got some of the League's finest looking after us."

Ash and Austin did as Robert suggested and sat down at the table. However, at least in Ash's opinion, it was hard for him to ignore the echoing sound of all of the people looming around them. It was even more difficult to disregard all of the bright flashes that were being emitted by the multitude of cameras operated by the Kanto media and paparazzi that were doing their job amidst the chaotic assemblage.

"How do you put up with this?" questioned Austin, clearly annoyed as he settled into his seat.

"Yeah," added Ash, "it's kind of overwhelming."

"What—the people?" queried Robert before giving them a nonchalant shrug. "You sort of get used to it, I guess."

All of a sudden, Bill let out a fake cough, impolitely signifying that he was going to interject. "_Psht! _Only you, Father. I've never gotten used to this kind of scene."

"Neither have I," added Sabrina. "Quite frankly, I can barely stand situations like this."

While being blown away by the fact that Bill and Sabrina were actually agreeing about something, Ash watched as Robert gave Austin and him a jovial smile.

"Well, I guess everyone's different," said Robert before taking another sip of his coffee. "Anyhow, would either of you two like a drink before we tour the building? I put this little coffee shop in earlier this year, the baristas are highly adept when it comes to making lattes."

He paused as he took another sip of his drink.

"They're to die for…" murmured Robert with a look of bliss on his face.

Ash looked at Robert blankly while Austin simply shook his head as courteously as possible.

"Dad…" drawled Bill while rubbing his temples contemplatively, "they're ten and thirteen years old, I doubt they would enjoy the taste of coffee."

"I guess you have a point…" mumbled Robert as he rubbed the hair underneath his chin, "sometimes I forget how young these lads are."

Undeterred by the fact that Robert had just offered him a cup of coffee, Ash took his comment about their age as a compliment. He was happy that he came off as older than he actually was to the billionaire CEO. He always tried to act mature for his age. He had to if he wanted to become a pokemon master one day.

The world that they lived in didn't leave room for immaturity. Of course, that didn't mean that he had to be serious all of the time, but if he wanted to be a master he needed to carry himself with a special kind of demeanor. It took a mature trainer, capable of demanding the respect of a plethora of different personalities, in order to become a master.

Immaturity was a crutch for most beginner trainers, causing them to get left behind in comparison to the trainers that took their training seriously. Most beginner trainers didn't make it to the League tournament because they were too immature and didn't use their time efficiently to train and come up with applicable strategies.

Ash never wanted to be one of those trainers that got lost in their first year. Rather, he desired to be a trainer that found himself in his first year and set a solid foundation for a promising career. So far, in his opinion, he had done that. All he could do now was keep it up, which would become more and more difficult as the grind of travel wore on him.

He had faith in himself, though. Better yet, he had faith in his friends.

Ash's thoughts were put on hold as Austin asked an interesting question. "Why didn't you just have us meet you on one of the upper floors, where Silph Co. headquarters goes from public to private? Wouldn't that have been way less troublesome?"

"Maybe," retorted Robert with a smirk, "but then I wouldn't be able to give you a thorough tour. The bottom floors are just as much a part of Silph Co. headquarters as the top floors, and I want to be here to show you them. Besides, one day, both of you will be famous trainers, and you'll have to get used to this sort of attention. Think of it as practice for the future."

It was Robert's last comment that made Ash think of something critical that he had previously overlooked. He and Austin had just gotten put on blast by a profusion of photographers. Before today, they had flown under the radar. However, being caught in a friendly photo with Robert, Bill and Sabrina was sure to garner people's attention.

Not just any startup pokemon trainers got to sit down and exchange in casual dialogue with the Montgomery's and Sabrina Marvil. When those photos got out, people would most certainly be asking questions about the two mysterious kids that kept exorbitantly famous company.

Before Ash got an opportunity to delve deeper into his thought process, Robert abruptly stood up from his chair, snatching the attention of everybody around him.

"Alright, coffee's gone!" blurted Robert as he tossed his disposable coffee cup into one of the nearby cylindrical trash cans. "There's no time to waste. I know you two want to get going, so follow me."

Ash, Austin, Bill, Sabrina and the dozen, or so, ACE trainers stood up from their seats in subsequence to Robert's words before beginning to follow him.

As they congregated toward Robert, the Ace trainers formed a circle around them, creating a formidable barrier of protection. Each one of them removed a pokeball from their trainer belt in preparation for the unexpected.

Although Robert Montgomery was, for the most part, adored by the region of Kanto, the world was littered with psychopaths willing to throw away their lives in order to exterminate someone as famous as the head of the Montgomery family. Therefore, when in public, Ash assumed that it was required that Robert was always under the protection of the ACE Corps, especially now that the region was aware of Team Rocket's ascension out of the shadows.

Now, going off of the fact that this was the first time Ash had ever seen Robert with this much protection, he was pretty sure that the billionaire CEO broke this rule a lot. Robert was the kind of guy that did what he wanted when he wanted to. It was pretty evident that he would get frustrated by the strict nature of the League's protection.

Once they made their way out of the coffee shop and into the vast, busy first floor, the ACE trainers spread out, forming a wider scope of protection. By doing this, the ACE trainers also gave Ash and the group a lot more breathing room, allowing them to see much more of the lofty floor's features than if the their protectors were to sever more of the space in between them.

The first thing that came to Ash's mind as he used his eyes to scan the spacious first floor was surprise. For the most part, the first floor consisted of strictly restaurants and miscellaneous, non-pokemon related shops. He had been under the assumption that Silph Co. headquarter's public floors would bear primarily pokemon apparel.

Silph Co. was the monopoly of pokemon merchandise after all. It only made sense that headquarters would consist of their products. However, so far, that wasn't the case…

"By the look on both of your faces, I'd say you two are confused," said Robert as he centered his attention on the two boys.

Both of them nodded in response to Robert's comment.

The billionaire CEO smiled before proceeding to turn his attention to Bill, "Son, why don't you explain what is going on here at ground-level?"

"Very well," retorted Bill as he drew closer to Ash and Austin. "Unless you have prior knowledge of Silph Co. headquarters, it is rather predictable that you would be confused."

He paused with a shrug.

"The first three floors of Silph Co. headquarters make up the second largest shopping mall in all of Kanto, trailing solely the world famous Celadon Department Store."

Both boys' eyebrows lifted as they listened to Bill's explanation.

"My mother designed them," laughed Bill. "She loves to shop and wanted to give the non-trainer a reason to visit headquarters. Leave it to her to come up with something so brilliant. Five years ago, this floor was the only floor available to the public, and all that resided in it was an oversized pokemart."

He took a breath as he pointed towards a pair of colossal escalators that lay in the center of the spacious room, serving as the primary way to travel from floor to floor.

"We moved all purchasable pokemon apparel up to the third floor," informed Bill before using his hands to gesture towards everything that was around them. "The first floor was transformed into a food court and a shopping center, consisting of different vendors that we sponsor."

Ash looked around while keeping what Bill had just said in mind. He didn't want to take the time to acquire an exact count, but the ten-year-old boy estimated that, between the various shops and the tiny cafeteria restaurants, there were roughly fifty different businesses operating on ground-level.

Ash knew that Silph Co. had an outrageous amount of influence, but that many sponsored businesses on a single floor was unbelievable.

"So, you're telling me that Silph Co. sponsors every single one of these companies?" asked Austin inquisitively, saving Ash the trouble of asking the question himself.

"Precisely," replied Bill. "We have more clout over some than others, but more or less, we have a say within all of the different companies that operate on this floor."

"Even the restaurants?" asked Ash curiously.

"Yup," retorted Bill with a shrug, "even the restaurants."

"As a matter of fact," interrupted Robert enthusiastically, "a lot of these restaurants were started by my wife. Not only does Margaret have a good sense for fashion, but she also has a solid understanding of the restaurant business. More than half of these food establishments were founded by her."

"Like?" asked Austin.

As they walked around the first floor, Robert began to point towards several of the food establishments that were founded by Margaret Montgomery.

"That one over there, House of Ramen, is one of my favorites," said Robert as he pointed at a tiny sit-down restaurant in between two causal clothing shops. "Margaret came up with the concept, the name, the restaurant layout, and even the menu. I promise you won't find better ramen in all of Kanto!"

Ash's mouth started to water at the thought of savory ramen. His mother always made it for him growing up, and it was one of his favorite meals. Although he had a tough time believing that any ramen could be as good as his mothers, he trusted that the ramen in "House of Ramen" was good, especially since its recipes had been put together by a member of the Montgomery family.

"This one to our left is another restaurant started by Margaret," said Robert melodramatically as he pointed to another small, busy restaurant. "It is called, Sushi Deluxe. I swear there isn't a single roll on the menu that isn't delicious."

Although it didn't sound nearly as appetizing as House of Ramen, Ash could tell by the glee in Robert's eyes that it was good.

"They make good sushi, eh?" questioned Austin with critical eyes. "I'll have to check it out sometime. I love sushi."

"It's the best sushi you'll ever have," inserted Sabrina, speaking up for the first time in a while, "I am highly critical when it comes to my sushi, and I have never been let down by Sushi Deluxe."

"Interesting…" drawled Austin while holding a hand up to his chin, "I think I'll stop by after the tour."

"You won't be disappointed if you do," retorted Robert as they continued to explore the first floor.

After the conversation concerning sushi simmered down, Robert continued to point out the restaurants that his wife had installed, and every once in a while he would mention something regarding one of the non-pokemon related shops. For the most part, he seemed to talk about the stores that had the most draw, such as a few of the clothing, electronic, and specialty stores.

However, when Robert talked about the shops, the tour came off as rehearsed. Ash could tell that Robert didn't have a lot of passion for what he was talking about. Although Robert was a billionaire and always wore nice clothes and fancied finer things, he wasn't as materialistic as most would presume.

Robert was passionate about pokemon and products that revolved around them. The stuff that he truly cared about would be on the upper floors. For now, he was just trying to be a good host.

One of Ash's favorite things up to this point, besides the building itself, was the look on all of the ACE trainers faces as they listened to Robert speak. Ash could tell that they were enjoying the tour as well. Most of them had probably just recently been transferred to Silph Co. headquarters, and even if they hadn't, they had certainly never been shown everything firsthand by the CEO himself.

He also got a kick out of all of the spectators that were following them from all directions. At the beginning, he had been overwhelmed by them, but as time went on, they simply became a source of amusement.

They cheered and screamed for Robert like he was a glorified god, and there were times where it was hilarious. Every once in a while, one of the many females would call out to him in a suggestive manner; when that happened, Ash couldn't help but burst into laughter, especially when he saw the look of disgust that was delineated across Bill's face.

Robert was his father after all, which probably made it hard for him to hear some of the ways that people talked about him.

Speaking of Bill, there were plenty of people in the crowd that were fans of the young billionaire. Sometimes, Ash forgot just how famous Bill was. At this point in time, he had gotten so used to seeing Bill as a close friend that it was hard to remember that he was one of the most famous people in all of Kanto.

Sabrina also heralded a lot of attention. There were several people calling out to her, and she seemed to attract the gaze of many of the encompassing men. Ash wasn't necessarily surprised by that; Sabrina was extremely attractive. Besides, despite her impact on the city, Ash had a feeling that Saffron's general populace didn't see her very often.

In just a short amount of time, Ash had gotten to know Sabrina pretty well. One thing he had definitely come to understand was that Sabrina was naturally introverted. She loved the people of Saffron, but that didn't mean that she liked to be around them. Large confluxes of people made her uncomfortable, and rarely do people like to feel uncomfortable on a frequent basis.

Ash couldn't see her showing herself in public like his very often. It just didn't seem like something that she would do…

Of course, not everything about the glob of lively people was amusing.

The thing Ash liked the least about the crowd was the awkward, jealous glares that he and Austin were on the receiving end of. For a good number of the populace, it would be a dream come true if they got the opportunity to meet a member of the Montgomery family, let alone become friends with them.

The fact that two no name trainers, like Austin and Ash, were engaged in friendly conversation with Robert and Bill, clearly pissed people off. The jealous onlookers were likely asking questions like, _why them, or __who the hell are they_?

However, despite the fact that Ash disliked the looks that he was getting, he didn't get mad. If anything, this was just a reminder of how messed up the world could be, which was a realization that he had accepted a long time ago.

Anyways, once Robert had shown them everything that was noteworthy on the first floor, he took them on a brief jaunt up to the second floor. For the most part, the second floor was an extension of what was on ground-level, consisting of primarily non-pokemon related shops.

It wasn't all that interesting, and it didn't take long for Robert to get bored and take them up to the third floor, which was the first floor that actually caused legitimate excitement to stir within Ash.

As he stepped off the escalator and on to the third floor, Robert used his hands to dramatically gesture toward everything around him.

"As Bill said earlier, on the third floor we have the biggest pokemart in all of Kanto—even larger than the pokemart in the Celadon Department Store!"

Ash's eyes widened as he looked out at all of the pokemon apparel that was in front of him. There were rows upon rows of merchandise neatly extending throughout the entirety of the floor. With one look, he could see just how stocked the aisles were. They were full to the brim with just about every Silph Co. Product that pokemarts were allowed to carry.

If Ash were by himself, he wouldn't even know where to start. Thankfully, he wouldn't have to make that decision, since Robert was the one responsible for showing them around.

"If it's sold in a pokemart, you can find it here!" bragged Robert with a bit of pride in his voice as he led them over to the far left side of the store. "The number one draw about this mega pokemart is that we never run out of anything. Our staff works on overdrive to make sure that the shelves are always fully stocked, and we have the best customer service in all of Kanto!"

He paused as he pointed behind himself toward a surplus of busy check-out stations, "We have over thirty check-out stations and at least fifteen of them are always manned. With that many people working the counters, it's almost a guarantee that you will never have to wait in line!"

Ash watched as a gaggle of Silph Co. employees worked their tails off to ensure that the shoppers got out as fast as possible. The cashiers scanned any items being purchased efficiently and quickly, whereas the baggers placed the items in plastic bags like their life depended on it. It was actually rather impressive. The mega mart operated like a well-oiled machine, displaying a perfect image of exuberant productivity.

"There are essentially twenty-two aisles that make up the entirety of the store and each one of them is fully-loaded with the type of items that it is designated to hold," said Robert as he turned his attention away from the check-out area and pointed up towards the signs that were suspended above each individual aisle.

"Just like every other pokemart in the world, underneath each aisle's designated number, we have specified what it contains," continued Robert while pointing to the large, square sign that was suspended over the aisle furthest to their left. "Our busiest aisle is Aisle One, which is where all of our potions are located. All up and down Aisle One, you can find various types of potions."

Ash used his eyes to quickly scan the entirety of the store, and he noticed that Robert was right. Even as he spoke, Aisle One was definitely the busiest of all of the aisles. It didn't really surprise Ash, potions were a hot commodity amongst trainers. It was considered idiotic to travel without them, so virtually every trainer in Kanto frequently purchased them.

"Do you need to restock your supplies?" asked Austin as he nudged Ash in the side. "Might as well get everything you need while we're here. That way, you can head straight to Celadon from here."

"I'm actually good," said Ash, "I've got tons of potions and all of those full-restores from the SS _Anne _tournament."

"Well, is there anything else you need?" interrupted Robert. "Aisle Two is where all of our pokeballs and great balls are. Aisle Five is where you can find our status healers. Aisle Eight consists of all of our repels, and there are tons of other things you can get here. Do you need any food? Aisles fifteen through twenty-two make up our grocery section."

Ash racked his brain as he tried to think of something that could be useful to him during his trip to Celadon. His backpack was loaded with all of the essentials, so there wasn't really anything he necessarily needed. However, maybe there was something that would come in handy. He was at the largest pokemon center in all of Kanto. It would be a shame for him to not take advantage of his visit somehow.

"Your backpack looks like it's heavy," said Austin. "What about some depository cases?"

Ash's eyes brightened up at the brilliant suggestion. His backpack was starting to get heavy. Even though his bag was specially designed with specs similar to a pokeball, in the way that it could shrink all of the items inside, it couldn't do anything about an item's weight.

Professor Oak had designed it, and although the professor was an excellent pokemon researcher, he didn't specialize in the area of technology. He was adequate enough to design a device capable of manipulating an item's size. However, it took an expert to diminish density.

Silph Co. had scientists that made a living off of creating technology that denied the natural laws of physics. Not only could depository cases shrink an items size, but they also diminished the weight and density to that of a feather. The idea of lessening the strain on his back by purchasing a surplus of depository cases sounded amazing to the ten-year-old boy.

"That's a great idea!" exclaimed Ash as turned around and surveyed the signs above the aisles in order to track down where the mega pokemart kept its depository cases.

"Aisle Ten," informed Bill, using his eccentric voice for the first time in a while. "That's where we keep all of the items pertaining to storage."

"Gotcha'," said Ash as he began to shuffle his way toward Aisle Ten, "I'll be back in a second!"

"Hold up!" blurted Austin as he took off in a jog in order to catch up with Ash. "I'll help you pick some out. There are a lot of different sizes. If you've never had anyone explain them to you, you'll get confused."

"Thanks," said Ash as he heard Bill, Robert and Sabrina snicker behind them.

Simultaneously, he watched out of the corner of his eyes as a quartet of ACE trainers ambulated around them, providing a barrier of protection. Ash was a little bit confused by it at first, but then he remembered all of the bizarre looks of contempt that he had gotten from some of the bystanders.

As long as they were within close proximity to the likes of Robert, Bill and Sabrina, they would need some level of protection. Jealousy could make people do crazy things, and nothing made people more envious than situations such as this one.

"So, how much stuff are you trying to store in a case?" asked Austin as they made their way over to the storage aisle.

"Err...let me think…" muttered Ash while mentally sifting through everything that was in his backpack, "Well, my highest priority is all of the really heavy stuff."

"Well, what's the heaviest thing that you have in there?" asked Austin.

"My moonstone," answered Ash. "It sucks lugging that thing around."

"How much do you think it weighs?"

"Somewhere between twenty and thirty pounds," retorted Ash. "It's pretty heavy."

"Yeah, that's a lot of weight to put on your back," said Austin. "However, that's not that much weight for a depository case. Even the smallest size can handle fifty pounds."

"Fifty pounds, really!?" blurted Ash. "How much can the biggest one hold!?"

"A couple tons," replied Austin with a shrug, "which is more than enough to transport a car without breaking a sweat."

"Damn…" drawled Ash with an astonished look on his face, "technology is crazy."

"That's an understatement," said Austin with a smirk as they passed underneath the massive, blue sign that read: Aisle Ten_._

Ash simply nodded in response to Austin's statement before using his eyes to examine all of the different objects that were being displayed around him. There were tons of different products such as backpacks, storage compartments, ordinary containers, badge cases, etc.…

He was kind of overwhelmed by how much stuff was jam-packed into a single aisle. It wasn't until they reached about the middle of the aisle that Ash finally spotted where they were keeping the depository cases.

Located on both sides of him was a surplus of black and grey boxes. All of them had the words "Silph Co. Depository Cases_" _on the sides of them, which was adjacent to the total amount of cases in each box, as well as the weight capacity of each individual case.

They were sold in all sorts of different bundles. Ash saw some that were packaged with solely small fifty pound cases, whereas others consisted of only massive two ton cases. There were even variety packages, which included all sorts of different sized cases.

"Since the heaviest item in your bag is only about thirty pounds," said Austin as he pointed towards a box of depository cases on the bottom shelf, "it would make the most sense to get a twelve pack of the small ones."

"True…" drawled Ash, "but what if I need to carry something heavier in the future?"

"Like what?"

Ash used his brain to filter through possibilities, "Maybe a saddle. I have to get one for Pidgeotto when he evolves."

Austin scoffed, "Dude, you're crazy if you think a pidgeot is going to need a fifty pound saddle. Fearow's saddle is barely twenty pounds, and it's made out of tauros' hide. The only aerial pokemon that require saddles thick enough to add up to fifty pounds are dragon-types, and that's only to protect the rider from their sharp scales."

"I guess you're right," said Ash. "What do people usually use the larger depository cases for then? I mean, how many people travel with things that weigh more than fifty pounds?"

"Eh, they're typically used for things that you wouldn't be able to carry without them," retorted the teenager. "Depository cases have opened the door for all sorts of options that were previously impossible. You can use them to carry an abundance of evolutionary stones. Some people use them to carry their entire wardrobe. I've even known people that have traveled with a full-sized grill. Honestly, the possibilities are endless."

"Gotcha'," answered Ash. "I can't really see myself carrying anything that big. However, I might as well get one of the variety packs. You never know what might come up. Besides, it's not like it'll hurt."

"The variety packs are a lot more expensive, though," muttered Austin as he pointed at the most reasonably priced variety pack. "Look, the cheapest variety pack is three-thousand pokedollars; that's expensive as hell. A twelve pack of the small ones is only one thousand pokedollars, which is a freaking bargain."

"Money's not really an issue right now," said Ash with a smirk.

"Oh, yeah," replied Austin with bright eyes. "I forgot about the prize money. Say no more. Get a variety pack, my friend."

In subsequence to Austin's words, Ash reached down and picked up the variety pack that his teenage friend had previously pointed out.

"Let's see…" drawled Ash, "it says right here that it contains four fifty pound capacity cases, three one-hundred pound capacity cases, two two-hundred pound capacity cases, two five-hundred pounders, and one massive one-thousand pound capacity case."

"Yeah, dude," said Austin, "you're never going to use all of that space, but at least you have options. Go for it."

"I'm going to," retorted Ash with a smile. "I may not use all of the space in these cases, but that's okay. They'll come in handy."

"Gotcha'," said Austin with a nod. "So, do you want to keep looking around, or should we head back over to Robert and the others?"

"I say we head back over to Robert and the others," replied Ash. "For the most part, this place is just a really big pokemart. If there is anything else important to see, I'm sure Robert will show us."

"I agree," answered Austin, "let's go back."

It only took the boys a couple of minutes to get back to the rest of the group, and when they did, Robert immediately started raving about the cases that Ash had picked out.

"Great choice, Ash, great choice," said Robert while patting Ash on the back. "That is probably our best option as far as depository cases go. Lots of brilliant options in that box, that's for sure."

"Thanks," drawled Ash. "I figured it was. It seems to be the most well-balanced of the variety packs. I think I'll be able to put most of it to good use."

"You most definitely will," answered Robert.

"Yeah," added Bill, "now you don't have to be so frugal about what you purchase or find during your travels. Also, it's the perfect thing to have before going to the Celadon Department Store. Now you won't have to hold back."

"That's what I was thinking," replied Ash with a small smile.

All of a sudden, Sabrina interjected, "Did you see anything else you liked, Ash Ketchum?"

"Err…yeah, but nothing I need to get right now," said Ash. "I'd rather get on with the rest of the tour. Besides, I have a feeling that I'm going to be doing a lot of shopping in Celadon. I don't want to overdo it right now."

"Understandable," retorted Sabrina with vacant eyes and a nod.

"What about you, Austin?" asked Bill. "Need anything?"

"I'm good for now," answered Austin. "As far as supplies go, I have plenty."

"Splendid!" exclaimed Robert. "Let's go to the next floor then. There's a guarded elevator in the back. That's how we'll get to the fourth floor. From here on out, the rest of the floors are restricted to Silph Co. staff only. So, it will no longer be necessary for all of these ACE trainers to follow us around."

Excitement started to boil within Ash as he anticipated the rest of the tour, but there was one thing that he thought Robert was forgetting about.

"Hold on…" said Ash, "before we go, shouldn't I check out?"

There was an awkward moment of silence before Robert and Bill looked at each other and laughed.

After a brief chuckle, which confused Ash and Austin, Robert ceased his laughter and looked Ash in the eyes.

"Come on, Ash…" said Robert with a massive grin, "the Montgomery name is on every product in this store, and you put your life on the line to help save me. You can't possibly think that I would make you pay for that?"

"Wait, are you saying that I can have this for free?" questioned Ash with a look of astonishment. "But, it's three-thousand pokedollars."

"I fail to see your point," answered Robert with a puzzled expression.

"Dad," inserted Bill with a nudge, "three-thousand pokedollars is a lot of money for most people. Don't be an ignorant billionaire."

"Oh...of course," replied Robert with an embarrassed expression on his face, "sometimes I forget."

"Completely understandable," said Austin, chiming back into the conversation. "With the kind of money you have, I'm sure it's hard not to lose sight of its value every once in a while."

"That my friend is an understatement," replied Robert as he fixed his expensive, designer suit. "Anyways, let's get going. Next stop is the fourth floor."

"Alrighty!" exclaimed Bill.

"Sounds good," said Austin.

Sabrina answered affirmatively with a nod.

"Thanks, Mr. Montgomery," stammered Ash as he ruminated about the free gift that he had just gotten from the billionaire CEO.

"No need to thank me," answered Robert with a shrug. "It's not that big of a deal. You're a friend, lad, and I take care of my friends."

"Hey, old man!" interjected Bill with a sour expression. "Ash is my friend, not yours!"

Ash laughed as he watched Robert chuckle at his jealous, overdramatic son.

"Bill, Bill, Bill…" jeered Robert. "We're all friends. Don't be so envious."

Bill responded by sticking his tongue out at his father like a disrespectful child, causing everyone in the group to burst out into laughter.

Ash had to admit, this was a scene he had never expected when he left Pallet on his journey. I mean, how could he have?

He had formed legitimate friendships with so many amazing people in just a few months. It almost felt like someone, or something, was watching over him from above, blessing him in unimaginable ways.

He couldn't wait to find out what other unbelievable things would happen to him throughout his travels.

Later today, he would hit the road again. It would just be him and his pokemon, trekking Kanto in route to their next destination.

However, for now, he had the rest of Silph Co. headquarters to see. His thoughts about his forthcoming adventure could wait until later. He wanted to soak up every last moment he could with his friends.

Most likely, after today, he wouldn't see them for a while.

XXX

Floors four through ten were rather boring and didn't take that long for them to explore. They consisted of solely office space, and everyone, including Robert, wanted to pass through them as fast as possible.

Ash wasn't quite sure why Robert found it so essential to show them every nook and cranny of Silph Co. headquarters, however, it was pretty clear that even he didn't enjoy the floors that he had just shown them.

They did get to meet some semi-important members of Silph Co. headquarters' staff, although now that they were exiting the elevator onto floor eleven, Ash had already forgotten their names.

"Floor eleven is our manufactory floor, which is where we manufacture all of our goods on a large scale," explained Robert as they walked out into the momentous room.

The first thing Ash noticed was the hiigh-reaching ceiling. It was at least three times as tall as the rest of the floors' ceilings, giving the room a much more voluminous feel. If Ash had to guess, he would say that the manufactory floor took up at least three, maybe four, floors worth of space.

"Essentially, this is where we make all of our purchasable capture devices, potions, repels, etc.…" said Robert. "Anything that has grounded instructions, or a formula that is set in stone, is produced here in tremendous quantity."

"Gotcha'," retorted Austin, "so this is basically where you make all of the _basic_ items."

"Yeah, pretty much," answered Robert. "To give you a better idea of what I'm talking about, I'll tell you some of the things that aren't produced here."

"Like?" asked Austin as he used his eyes to scan over his surroundings.

Ash did the same as he tried to process everything that was going on around him. The floor was flooded with busy workers wearing hard-hats, goggles, work clothes and thick gloves. As they walked by, they tipped their hats or gave a courteous wave. However, Ash could tell that they weren't overexcited by Robert's presence, signifying that the CEO most likely made plenty of trips to the manufactory level.

There were conveyor belts that were packaging a multitude of items, while the workers tinkered at their designated stations, making sure that whatever products they were working on didn't have any fallacies.

Ash noticed several different heavy pieces of equipment such as forklifts, robotic work cells, wire strippers, vibration wielders, torque tools and conformal coating equipment. The eleventh floor was a fully functioning factory.

Ash never would have guessed that something like this existed within Silph Co. headquarters, especially on a floor as high as the eleventh floor. It would be one thing if it was underground. It seemed much more logical to have a manufactory in a basement than on one of the upper-levels.

But, then again, who was he to question Silph Co.? He was just a ten-year-old kid after all. Robert probably had a perfectly sensible reason for putting a manufactory on an elevated level…

"Well, for starters, we don't make any of our items that aren't sold at a pokemart here," said Robert, breaching Ash's thoughts with his impassioned voice. "Things like ultra balls and full restores are made in the upper labs?"

"Upper labs?" queried Ash, clearly intrigued.

"Yeah," replied Robert as they watched a conveyor belt carrying finished great balls bring them over to a high-tech packaging machine, "there are five labs occupying floors twelve through sixteen. In those five labs, we do all of our experimentation as well as produce some of our rarer items."

"Interesting…" drawled Austin as they left the great ball conveyor belt and walked over to an assembly line of workers that were checking the packaging on some super potions. "Is each lab responsible for a specific item?"

"More like a field," replied Bill for the first time in a while. "Each lab is dedicated to a specific _type _of item."

"What do you mean?" asked Ash.

"_Hmm…" _murmured Bill as he raised his hand to his chin, "basically, they're distinguished by departments—medical, storage, capture devices, tools and TMs."

"Oh, I get it," retorted Austin. "So, if they are classified under one of those five categories, they would have essentially been created by that department."

"For the most part," said Bill. "That's how they are designed. The whole point of our labs is to discover new scientific breakthroughs. Once they complete one of their products, and get approval from my father, they send the instructions or formula down to this floor, so that it can be mass-produced."

"That's really cool," said Ash. "We'll get to see the labs, right?"

"Absolutely," answered Robert with a smile, obviously flattered that Ash had taken such an interest in what was going on at headquarters. "Like I said earlier, I'm going to show you everything. Thorough means thorough; you will see the entirety of the tower."

"Awesome," said Ash with a massive grin.

"Shall we proceed to the next floor, Robert," inserted Sabrina, who like Bill had been relatively quiet since the beginning of the tour, allowing Robert to do the majority of the talking. "The boys' minds say that they're eager to ascend to the labs."

Ash couldn't help but smile at how Bill and Sabrina were acting. It was clear how much they cared about Robert in the fact that they were allowing him to have his moment with Austin and himself.

Robert had been anticipating this tour for a couple of days now, and it was evident that it was important to him. Sometimes, the best way to show how much you cared about someone was to not get in their way. Right now, Bill and Sabrina were trying their very best to do that.

"Is that right, boys?" asked Robert. "Are you ready to move on?"

"Yeah!" exclaimed Ash with bright eyes. "I can't wait to see the upper labs!"

"I'm ready," replied Austin with a smile, "unless there's still something cool to see on this floor?"

"You've pretty much seen it all," answered Robert. "Everything is out in the open. The eleventh floor is one of my favorites, but that's only because of its significance and production. All of the truly fascinating things are above us."

"Alrighty then," said Austin with a shrug. "Let's go up."

"Back to the elevator it is then," replied Robert as he adjusted the expensive looking watch on his wrist. "It's time to see the fun stuff."

XXX

The first couple of labs were fascinating. Between the Medical Lab and the Storage Lab, Ash would have to say that he preferred the Storage Lab.

While the Medical Lab was interesting, it was also complex and hard to make sense of. The scientists and fancy equipment were entertaining to watch at work, but unless Robert explained things to the group, Ash had no idea what they were doing.

The scientists used way too much medical jargon to decipher what they were talking about, and there was no way to figure out what they were working on based off of the visualization of the different chemicals that they were handling.

It was also an awkward environment. None of the scientists paid them any mind. It reminded him of Lavender Town due to the overall lack of acknowledgement, albeit It wasn't quite as eerie, since the only reason the scientists were ignoring them was because they were overly engrossed in their work.

Nevertheless, it was perplexing. How could such brilliant people lack so much awareness when it came to their surroundings?

Despite the fact that he couldn't understand a vast amount of what was going on around him, the information that Robert shared with them was incredible, especially their development plans.

Apparently, Silph Co. was working on a product called Full Revive, which when finished would be able to not only wake a pokemon up from unconsciousness, but it would also be able to fully replenish a pokemon's health like a full restore.

Obviously, like a full restore, it wouldn't be permitted to be sold at pokemarts. However, it would be very beneficial for the League officials that would be authorized to use it, especially now that Team Rocket had emerged from the shadows.

Standard revives were a hot commodity to those that could afford them. Ash could only imagine how popular a full revive would be amongst the League…

Other than the fact that Ash could make a lot more sense of what the scientists in the Storage Lab were saying, there were a lot of things that he really liked about the Storage Lab.

First of all, the scientists were kind and attentive, taking the time to acknowledge them. Some of them even introduced themselves to Ash and Austin, which was a major positive after being ignored by all of the scientists in the Medical Lab.

Ash also enjoyed listening to them speak about how all of their products worked. They didn't use nearly as much jargon, so Ash could actually understand what they were saying as opposed to the scientists in the Medical Lab. In addition, he actually preferred physics over chemistry. In his opinion, it was way more interesting.

The fact that modern scientists could bend matter to their will blew his mind. He could get way more into that than the formulas that scientists in the medical field used to create their products.

Of course, as a pokemon trainer, he had to have a general knowledge of both types of sciences. In the world of pokemon, there were just way too many components of each field to not be informed of both…

Nevertheless, all thoughts of the first two labs were put to rest when they arrived on the fourteenth floor, which was where the Capture Device Lab resided.

He had never seen so many capture devices in his life. Pokeballs, great balls, ultra balls—there were thousands.

Scattered amidst the expansive room were hundreds of cubicles, and at each cubicle there was a tech specialist that was tinkering with a pokeball, great ball or ultra ball. Piled on their desks were several more capture devices, which were either finished or pending to be fiddled with.

As Robert led them away from the elevator and further into the room, they had to watch their step in order to avoid tripping on a plethora of mechanical spheres. The ground was littered with red, blue and black as pokeballs, great balls, and ultra balls were scattered about like mines in a minefield.

"Dammit, this place is a bloody mess again," groaned Robert as he stepped over a large pile of great balls. "Leave it to the techies to be able to function in such disarray."

"Does this happen a lot?" queried Austin as he used his foot to clear a path through an extremely cluttered section of the room.

"Enough for it to be annoying," spat Robert with a scowl. "This room is full to the brim with some of the most brilliant tech specialists in the world. Unfortunately, their type tends to be content to be disorganized. I may love this floor, due to what is accomplished here, but I can't spend too much time up here. The clutter irritates me."

"Gotcha—" managed Austin before getting cut-off by an old, nasally voice.

"Boss, what brings you to the fourteenth floor on this fine day?"

The owner of the voice looked to be in about his sixties and had a very peculiar appearance. His hair was long, grey and shaggy, resembling that of a homeless person. It covered his eyes, so that they were hidden from the world. He wore a big, black t-shirt with an image of a pokeball in the center of it, as well as a pair of tattered black sweats that looked about as old as he did.

Last but not least were his two bright, yellow slippers that both resembled a pikachu. Ash had to admit, they looked comfortable, albeit they weren't even close to being appropriate for a work environment.

However, after a second glance around the room, it didn't appear as if any of the techies were wearing proper work attire. The majority of them were dressed in t-shirts and either sweats or pajama bottoms. It was pretty clear that they abided by their own set of rules.

"Hello, Sebastian," muttered Robert while adjusting his suit. "I'm here for a tour."

"A tour?" questioned Sebastian. "For Sabrina and Bill, but they've been here hundreds of times? What's the point?"

"It's not for us…" muttered Bill while rolling his eyes and gesturing toward Ash and Austin, who Sebastian had somehow failed to notice up until now, "it's for the boys."

Reacting to Bill's words, Sebastian turned his head in the direction of Ash and Austin. If the dark-haired boy was able to see his eyes, he would assume that they would be looking at him in a confused manner.

"Hmm…" drawled Sebastian as he suddenly raised his hand to his chin before turning his head back toward Robert. "Boss, what do I do? I'm not good with children."

"Treat them like adults, and introduce yourself," retorted Robert, slightly amused. "These childrenare very dear friends of mine and deserve your utmost respect."

"Really?" replied Sebastian with a bit of bewilderment in his intonation. "But, they look like regular kids to me."

"Well, they're not," said Robert in an edgy tone. "They happen to be one of the main reasons that I am standing here right now. If it weren't for them, I would probably be dead."

"_Hmm…_I see, I see," said the shaggy, old man as he scratched the back of his head. "So, you kids saved the boss?"

"We helped," answered Ash with an awkward smile.

"We just did what we could," retorted Austin, slightly flustered. "A lot of people helped."

"_Hmm_…" mumbled Sebastian, "you two both seem like a couple of earnest young men…"

He paused before reaching out to shake their hands, "I am Sebastian Trobee, head scientist of the Capture Device Department, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," answered Ash as he shook Sebastian's hand. "My name's Ash Ketchum. I'm a pokemon trainer from Pallet Town."

Sebastian gave Ash a nod of acknowledgement before turning to his attention to Austin.

"I'm Austin Turner from Fuchsia City," said the chiseled faced teenager while he also shook Sebastian's hand. "I'm a pokemon trainer as well."

After shaking both of their hands, Sebastian gave them an awkward grin before turning his head toward Robert.

"So, you're here for a tour…" mumbled the old techie. "Why didn't you tell me ahead of time, Boss? I would have had the squad tidy up a little bit."

"_Psht!" _Robert blustered, "you, tidy up, I don't believe it for a second!"

"Boss!" scoffed Sebastian, clearly offended. "That was uncalled for."

"What do you mean it was _uncalled _for?" questioned Robert. "Sebastian, we've been having this same conversation for years, and things never change. The last couple of times I've come to this floor this place has been a pigsty."

"But, but, but," stammered Sebastian, "our lives revolve around capture devices. Doesn't it make sense that this room would be flooded with them? Do they really constitute for what you would call a mess?"

"They do when you have to watch every step you take because you're afraid of slipping on a pokeball," said Robert. "All I ask is that you keep them off of the ground. As long as you finish your work, I don't care how unorganized your workers' stations are. However, since I have to come down here on the occasion, I would appreciate it if you would pick all of the capture devices up off of the ground. At my age, I'd rather not take a tumble if I don't have to."

"Fair enough, Boss," said the old techie. "We will try and keep them off of the ground."

"Thank you," retorted Robert. "Now, would you mind leading the way to the vault…I would like to show Ash and Austin what we have stowed away inside."

Sebastian's body tensed up as he registered Robert's words, "B-but, Boss—"

"No buts!" scolded Robert. "If it weren't for these kids, it would have fallen into the clutches of Team Rocket a long time ago! If anyone has earned the right to see it, it would be them!"

As Robert laid into Sebastian, Ash watched while they got a multitude of surprised stares from the technical specialists around them. Up to this point, almost all of them had stayed immersed in their work, thus the change in the atmosphere was especially apparent.

"Alright, Boss, I understand," mumbled Sebastian while slouching his shoulders and dropping his head. "Follow me."

"Wise choice," huffed Robert as he adjusted his watch. "Bill, Sabrina, boys, let's go. I wish to show you what you risked your lives to protect."

All four of them nodded as they began to follow Sebastian and Robert to the other side of the fourteenth floor.

XXX

"Wow, look at it," said Ash with gleaming eyes as he stared ahead at the pristinely designed capture device.

It was spherical in shape, just like every other capture device, although its upper-half was dark purple with two fuchsia pink circles at the very top. Located right above the release button was a bold, white, capital M, signifying its name: Master Ball.

"This is it," said Robert with a smile as he carefully handled the Master Ball. "The Master Ball: the ultimate capture device. It is capable of catching any pokemon, of any level, on the first try."

"Damn…" drawled Austin, "I like the way it looks."

"Thank you," inserted Sebastian with a smile, "I came up with the design. I'm glad you like it. I had a tough time choosing between purple and silver. However, we decided to stick to Saffron's prestigious colors. It was born here after all."

"A great choice," added Sabrina, bearing one of her rare smiles. "It's beautiful. I desire to have one of my own."

"I'm sorry, Sabrina, but that's just not possible," retorted Robert as he showed the Master Ball to each of them slowly in order to give them a good look. "The Master Ball is one of a kind, and we plan on keeping it that way."

Sabrina's initial reaction was a minuscule frown before she nodded her head in understanding.

"But, Dad?" questioned Bill, "this is a monumental breakthrough. You can't keep it to yourself. The Master Ball could change everything."

Once everyone had gotten a good look, Robert placed it back in the small, armored safe that it had previously resided in. The safe was located within a massive vault in the far corner of the fourteenth floor. The vault required a multitude of different fragments of Robert's DNA such as a strand of hair, a swab of saliva, a finger print and even a pinch of blood.

Needless to say, there was no way that Team Rocket would have ever gotten in without having kidnapped Robert. The corrupt organization had all of the major details planned out perfectly. Luckily, destiny put Ash and his friends in the right place at the right time…

"That is exactly why it must remain alone and a secret," replied Robert with sincerity in his voice. "Bill, can you imagine what would happen if the general populace could get their hands on something like this? It would be a disaster. No longer would catching powerful pokemon require skill. Anyone with money could become powerful beyond measure."

He paused.

"The Master Ball can catch anything and everything on the first try. The stamina of the pokemon doesn't matter. Its power-level doesn't matter. Its breed doesn't matter. Nothing matters. The Master Ball will always win. It is absolute."

"Well, if you don't plan on making any more of them, I presume that you have no plans of allowing the Master Ball to be available to the League?" asked Bill.

"As of now, I have no plans of making it available to anyone," said Robert. "If it were up to me, it would remain stowed away in this vault until long after my death."

A question stirred within Ash's mind as he listened to Robert's words.

"Why was it created then?" asked the ten-year-old boy. "If you don't plan on using it, why go to the trouble of making it, especially when its existence puts you at risk to people like Team Rocket?"

"Good question, Ash," answered Robert with an amused smile as he turned his attention over to Sebastian. "I'll let the brains behind its existence answer for me."

Sebastian raised his hand up to his chin as he appeared to be in deep thought, "Boss, there are several reasons why the creation of the Master Ball was necessary.

"That's true," retorted Robert, "but what's the primary reason? Why did we start the project in the first place?"

"Ah…protection of course," answered Sebastian with a quirky smile.

"Protection?" queried Austin. "How can a capture device protect you?"

"Austin Turner has a good point," added Sabrina. "Up to this point, the existence of the Master Ball has only caused trouble for Saffron and the Montgomery family. How exactly does it offer us protection?"

"We're not talking about protection from an organization like Team Rocket," said Sebastian matter-of-factly.

"Then what are you talking about?" asked Bill with curious eyes.

"We're talking about—" started Robert before getting interrupted by Sebastian.

"I got this, Boss," he interjected. "It's rare that I get an opportunity to talk about my creation."

"Okay…" drawled Robert, "I apologize for interrupting. Continue then."

"We're talking about protection from pokemon," said Sebastian. "The creation of the Master Ball was necessary to ensure that we can protect ourselves in case of a catastrophe."

"…Protection from pokemon? A catastrophe?" queried Ash, clearly intrigued. "What are you talking about?"

"Ash, you're aware of Legendaries, right?" retorted Sebastian as he stuck his hands in the pockets of his pajama pants.

Everyone in the bare vault went quiet at the mention of the word _Legendaries_.

"I'll take that as a yes," replied Sebastian with a brief burst of laughter. "Anyways, since you've heard of Legendaries, I assume that you are aware of the ones that are rumored to dwell within Kanto."

"Moltres, Aritcuno, Zapdos and Mew!" blurted Bill, unable to control himself.

That is correct, Bill, although I wasn't asking you," huffed Sebastian before turning his head back toward Ash. "You do know of these four Legendaries, right?"

Ash responded with a nod while reflecting back on the stories that Professor Oak had told Gary and him growing up.

"Of these four Legendaries, which one is said to be the strongest?" asked Sebastian with anticipation in his eyes.

Ash didn't even have to think about it.

"Mew," retorted the ten-year-old boy with confidence in his answer.

"Correct," answered Sebastian. "Researchers that have devoted their lives to studying Legendaries would classify Mew as an S-rank Legendary, which would make Mew one of the rarest and strongest pokemon on the planet."

"S-rank?" questioned Austin. "What does that mean?"

"S-rank is one of six classifications that scientists use to sort out how rare and powerful a Legendary is," explained Sebastian. "The six classifications are C, B, A, S, SS and SSS. C is the lowest and SSS is the highest. Most Legendaries fall in the C through A range. A handful of Legendaries bear the S-rank. And only a few Legendaries occupy the range SS to SSS."

"Damn…" drawled Austin, "I've never heard of a classification system before."

"That's because it's information that is withheld from the general public," said Sebastian. "However, since the boss trusts you enough to show you the Master Ball, I assume he has no qualms about me sharing this with you. "

"None whatsoever," interjected Robert. "I would have told them if you didn't."

"That's what I thought," retorted the scientist with a smirk before pivoting his eyes back over to Ash and Austin.

"Anyways, given that, Mew, the highest ranked Legendary in Kanto is an S-rank," said Sebastian, "and that Mew is rumored to be extremely placid, Kanto doesn't have a lot of tragic legends in its past. Therefore, there isn't a big focus on the Legendaries in our region, which has resulted in an utter lack of defense against them if something _unexpected _ever occurred."

"Unexpected_…" _said Ash. "But Legendaries are legendary for a reason. Few have been seen in recent years, and the ones that have didn't do anything that could be labeled as threatening. I'm confused. What are you guys so worried about?"

Sebastian opened his mouth to respond, but was quickly cut-off by Robert, who clearly wanted to be the one to answer Ash's question.

"That's not entirely true…" interrupted Robert with a solemn look on his face, "there was one incident."

"An incident?" asked Bill, who looked confused for the first time since the conversation began.

"What are you referring to, Robert?" asked Sabrina, clearly intrigued.

Ash's nerves spiked the second that Sabrina finished asking her question. It was rare that Sabrina didn't know about something. Not only was she usually in the loop because of her status as a gym leader, but she also had an incredible amount of insight due to her psychic powers. The fact that Sabrina didn't know about this _incident_ worried him.

"Before I tell you what happened," said Robert, "I'd like you to try and list all of the Legendary pokemon sightings that have occurred within the past ten-years. Most of them are common knowledge, so it shouldn't be that hard."

Ash took a moment to think as he tried to remember all of the Legendary sightings that he had either heard reported through the news or had been told to him by someone he knew. He hadn't done a ton of research on this topic himself, so for the most part he was going off of occurrences that he had randomly heard about.

"Well, five years ago, there was a supposed sighting of a zapdos in an abandoned power plant north of Lavender Town," said Sabrina. "It had been feeding off of the electricity from some of the machinery that was still functioning. I got a call to go check it out, since I was the closest gym leader that wouldn't be at a disadvantage. By the time I got there, it was gone, but there was a lot of evidence that something exorbitantly powerful had been dwelling within."

She paused as she released a sigh.

"The place was an utter wreck, and all of the plant's electricity had been entirely drained. It was completely barren. There wasn't so much as a fraction of an ampere, and all of the electric pokemon that used to make the abandoned power plant home were gone. Although I didn't see it myself, I have no doubt in my mind that a zapdos dwelled within that building. The aftermath of its presence was way too powerful to be anything but a Legendary."

"Yeah, I remember that," said Bill. "It was a big deal. There hasn't been a wild Legendary sighting in Kanto since then."

"That's true," said Austin. "I was pretty young when it happened, but the only other Legendary sighting I've heard of in Kanto was when a moltres was spotted looking out at Knot Island from the very top of Mt. Ember. All of the pictures came out pretty blurry, so some people think that it's a conspiracy. However, the people on Knot Island that saw it with their own eyes swear it was a legitimate moltres."

"Yup," said Robert, "those are the only two documented sightings in Kanto over the past ten-years. Kind of crazy, wouldn't you say? How they remain hidden is a mystery to me, especially when you factor in some of the foreign ones' mind boggling immensity?"

As Ash soaked in the fact that only two documented Legendary sightings had taken place in Kanto over the past ten years, he remembered something pivotal that had happened to him at the beginning of his journey.

In subsequence to his struggle to outrun the angry flock of spearow that had tried to kill him in between Pallet and Viridian, Ash had seen a miraculous pokemon.

Although he hadn't thought about it for a while, the image would forever remain ingrained in his head. He had seen a gigantic, golden bird with rainbow colored wings soaring above him. Its presence was mesmerizing, and he knew that it couldn't be anything other than a Legendary.

He didn't know its name, but it most certainly wasn't one of the four Legendaries that were said to live in Kanto.

His guess was that it was either foreign or an unknown Legendary. Most likely, it was the former rather than the latter. Ash doubted that something willing to fly in broad daylight, so close to Viridian City, had gone completely incognito throughout history. The world was old, and pokemon along with mankind had occupied it for a long time; surely someone else had seen the golden avian before.

"Ash Ketchum, I believe you have something you would like to share with us," said Sabrina, stealing Ash's attention away from his internal rumination.

Obviously, Sabrina was referring to his memory regarding the majestic bird he had seen at the beginning of his journey.

During the time that Ash had spent training with Sabrina, the psychic virtuoso didn't have any of her powers, so Ash didn't have to worry about the thought that Sabrina was reading his every thought. Now that she had fully-recovered, Ash had yet to get used to the fact that she could be inside of his head at any moment.

More than likely, she had gotten curious as to what Ash was pondering about after noticing his concentrated disposition. Ash also recognized the fact that Sabrina likely already knew about his miraculous experience. She had sifted through his memories when they had first met. There was no doubt that the memory of a Legendary would stick out amongst the rest.

"Did you see it?" queried Ash, already knowing her answer.

"Yes," said Sabrina as she nodded her head with vacant eyes. "I've been aware of this encounter for a while now. The moment we met, this memory shined bright amongst your psyche."

Ash formed a half-hearted smile, "figured as much."

"What are you guys bloody talking about?" questioned Bill with a look of frustration. "I don't like being out of the loop."

"It sounds to me like Ash has something he's been keeping to himself," said Austin as he folded his arms impatiently.

"Ash, my lad, what is it?" asked Robert with a curious expression. "You can tell us anything. You know that, right?"

The ten-year-old boy stood firm, although he had been slightly flustered because of the tirade of questions.

"I'm not hiding anything," said Ash earnestly. "There has been a lot that has happened ever since I met you all of you, so I haven't thought much about what I saw. Not to mention the fact that I'm not exactly sure what it was."

"You've got my attention," said Robert as he centered the entirety of his focus on the dark-haired boy.

"Bloody hell!" blurted Bill with an elated expression on his face, "you've got mine as well!"

"Me too," said Austin as he scratched the back of his head.

"This sounds interesting…" drawled Sebastian as he raised his hand to his chin, "elaborate please."

"_Hmm…_" drawled Ash as the memory of the golden bird illuminated within his head, "um, well, it happened on my first day as a trainer."

Ash could feel the intense gaze of everyone around him as they listened attentively to what he had to say.

"Growlithe and I were about an hour or two outside of Pallet, on our way to Viridian City, when we decided to stop and train."

He paused.

"We had been working on Ember when he lost control because of fatigue. There was a stray flame that got away from him and landed behind a large slab of rock," Ash gulped as he remembered the sound of the spearow that had been the recipient of the Ember. "All of a sudden, I heard an ear-shattering screech that nearly busted my eardrums. It was awful."

"What was it?" asked Austin in a curious manner.

Ash let out a quick burst of laughter as he thought about how rotten his luck had been at the time. "It was a spearow."

"Bloody hell," scoffed Bill. "That friggin' sucks. Of course, it was a spearow—one of the most aggressive pack-oriented pokemon in all of Kanto. My guess is that its cry wasn't just a reaction to the Ember. It called its pack, didn't it?"

"Yup," retorted Ash as he shook his head on account of his misfortune. "Next thing I knew, Growlithe and I were running for our lives from a flock of pissed off spearow."

"How'd you get away?" asked Robert. "Spearow are relentless little buggers, especially when they're in a pack. There's no way they ever got tired of chasing you. What happened?"

Ash let out a sigh as he remembered what had happened next. "Well, obviously there was a lot of stuff going through my head at the time. I thought about becoming a decoy and letting Growlithe escape, but I came to the conclusion that sacrificing myself wouldn't work. Even though I had only known Growlithe for a couple of hours, he was way too loyal to just let me die."

"Good choice," said Sabrina, matter-of-factly. "You're right. The growlithe line is way too loyal for a plan like that to work. It would have just been suicide for both of you."

"I know," retorted Ash, "that's why we just kept running. Battling wasn't an option because of our severe lack of numbers, and we had been chased way off path, so the chance that someone would come to our rescue was nonexistent."

"And…?" questioned Austin with wide-eyes. It was pretty apparent that he was completely engrossed in the story.

"Just when I was about to give up hope, I smelt fresh water. I owe it to Professor Oak. If it weren't for everything he taught me about the wild, I would be dead."

"Fresh water?" queried Bill. "How did the smell of fresh water save you?"

"I had been running alongside a river," replied Ash, "but I was too exhausted to notice it until I was hit with the smell. Once I tracked down the river with my eyes, I noticed how strong the current was. It was powerful, and a current as strong as this one had to be going somewhere."

"A basin," guessed Bill.

"Exactly," said Ash. "It led to a basin. At the time, I wasn't positive that I would be able to use it to get away. However, as I continued to gain ground, I started to hear the crashing sound of what had to be a waterfall. It was way too loud to be anything else. I could hardly hear myself breathe as I continued to run."

"What happened next?" asked Robert with anticipation brewing in his eyes.

"The waterfall happened," retorted Ash matter-of-factly. "It came up fast. And when it did, we did the only thing that we could."

"Damn!" blustered Austin, "you jumped?!"

Ash simply nodded.

"How did you know you'd make it? There's no way you could have possibly known how far the drop was!" retorted Austin.

"I didn't," answered Ash with a shrug, "I had no other choice, though. At that point in time, we couldn't stop. It was either we jumped, or we were killed by the spearow."

"Good point," said Robert. "Often times, when we're backed up into a corner, we do things that we never thought we could."

"It was definitely one of those situa—" managed Ash before being interrupted by Bill.

"What did you do with Growlithe?" interjected the pokemon researcher. "That much water is bad for a fire-type. In combination with the shock from the fall, it could have killed him."

"That's why I returned him," said Ash with a nonchalant shrug.

"Are you saying you returned him right before you jumped?" questioned Sebastian.

"Nope," answered Ash as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "But, now that you mention it that probably would have been a good idea."

Everyone in the room gave him a look of astonishment as they processed what that meant.

"Bloody hell, Ash, you returned him while you were falling?!" asked Bill.

"Yeah," replied Ash. "It took a lot of concentration, but I managed."

"Damn…" drawled Austin. "That's incredible."

"You can say that again," added Robert before whistling signifying that he was impressed.

"I kind of find it hard to believe," said Sebastian with doubt in his voice.

"I can assure you that he is not lying," articulated Sabrina with a slight edginess to her tone. "Ash Ketchum's memories match his story."

In response to Sabrina's words, Sebastian's eyebrows lifted, depicting that he was at least somewhat astonished.

Ash simply ignored Sabrina and Sebastian's comments while preparing to continue his story. This had already gone on for way too long. He just wanted to finish sharing his experience, so that Robert could finish explaining why the creation of the Master Ball was necessary.

"Anyways," said Ash, interrupting the trivial side conversation that was going on around him, "as soon as I returned Growlithe, I hit the water. It was awful. I didn't get a chance to prepare myself for the impact, so it was extremely harsh. The collision with the water almost knocked me out, but I managed to remain conscious enough to realize that I was sinking fast."

He took a breath as he paused.

"The momentum of the fall, in combination with the gravitational pull caused by the waterfall, had caused me to plummet deep within the basin. If I would have lost consciousness when I hit the water, I would have definitely drowned. Fortunately, I didn't. I can still remember the suffocating feeling of running out of air as I desperately tried to swim up to the surface. I've never been so exhausted in my life."

"What happened to Growlithe's pokeball when you hit the water?" asked Bill curiously. "Did you manage to hang onto it?"

"Yes, I did," answered Ash. "There was no way in hell I was going to let go of that pokeball. Who knows where it would have ended up if I let go?"

"Good point," retorted Bill. "However, it's pretty extraordinary that you managed to hang on to it regardless of how determined you were."

The ten-year-old boy was about to reply to Bill's response, but Austin quickly interrupted.

"So, given that you're here with us right now," said the teenager, "it's pretty obvious that you managed to make it to land. What happened after that? Did you lose the spearow?"

Ash placed his hand on Growlithe's pokeball, which was fastened to his trainer belt, as he recounted the rest of the story.

"The second I surfaced, I checked to make sure that the spearow had stopped following me. There was no sign of them. They must have thought I was killed by the impact because they were gone. My plan had worked, and we were finally safe."

Ash mindlessly unclipped Growlithe's pokeball as he shared what had happened next.

"Once I made it to land and took a moment to catch my breath, I released Growlithe. We just laid there for a while, completely barren of energy. We shared a sentimental moment together, gazing up at the clouds as we rested in the fact that we were both still alive."

He looked down at his starter's pokeball as a small smile formed across his face.

"I remember saying something to Growlithe, but I can't remember exactly what it was. What happened next kind of stole the moment."

"What happened?" questioned Robert.

"Yeah, Mr. Ketchum," said Sebastian while raising one of his eyebrows, "what did you see?"

"A bird," answered Ash with a massive grin. "Growlithe and I saw a giant bird."

"A _giant_ bird?" queried Bill, clearly desiring more details. "Are you referring to the King's Nature? Is this where you found Pidgeotto?"

"No," retorted Ash, "I didn't run into Pidgeotto until the Viridian Forest. This was something else. It was unlike anything I had ever seen or heard of before; whatever it was had to be a Legendary."

He focused his eyes solely on Bill as he continued.

"Bill, its presence was even greater than Dragonite's. All it did was soar over me, and I could sense that it was different_."_

A look of glee formed in his friends' eyes as they thought about what Ash was sharing with them.

"Everything this boy says is true, right, Sabrina?" asked Sebastian as a flurry of emotions could be spotted flickering within his eyes.

"Yes," retorted Sabrina with a small hint of agitation in her voice. "He hasn't so much as exaggerated. How many times do I have to tell you, everything Ash Ketchum has said completely aligns with his memories."

"I'm just making sure," retorted Sebastian. "The claim that Mr. Ketchum is making is monumental. A Legendary hasn't been spotted in Kanto for quite some time. I just wanted to make sure that what he just told us is true before I get too excited."

"I understand," answered Sabrina, reclaiming her typical emotionless disposition, "but there is no more reason to doubt. Unless I say otherwise, Ash Ketchum is being truthful. Quite frankly, you're pissing me off. I shouldn't have to keep reassuring you. Ash Ketchum is a trustworthy trainer, and he has no reason to lie."

Sabrina's words meant a lot to Ash. Over the past couple of weeks, he had gotten the hint that the gym leader had grown rather fond of him. However, her emotionless countenance made her hard to read at times. It made him happy to know that someone like Sabrina had his back, albeit he understood where Sebastian was coming from.

The head of the Capture Device Department had only just met him. And despite the fact that he was in the company of some rather trustworthy people, it made sense that a man as intelligent as Sebastian would be skeptical of a first-year trainer. Ash was only ten after all, and a lot of kids his age told all kinds of fabricated lies in order to get attention.

Simply put, Sebastian's skeptics made sense. Ash wouldn't hold it against him.

In reaction to Sabrina, Sebastian turned his attention towards Ash. "I apologize if I offended you. However, I've heard a lot of outlandish stories over the years, so I tend be a bit of a skeptic. Anyways, since Sabrina has confirmed that you are indeed telling the truth, I have to ask—do you think you saw one of the three elemental legends of Kanto?"

The room became quiet as everybody anticipated Ash's answer.

"No…" retorted Ash as he decisively shook his head, "it wasn't one of the three elemental birds; at least, it didn't look like it. I've seen paintings and sketches of Zapdos, Moltres and Articuno. It didn't look like any of them."

There were multiple looks of confusion as Austin, Bill, Robert and Sebastian listened to Ash. For obvious reasons, Sabrina was the only one to remain calm. Most likely, she already knew the identity of the pokemon Ash had seen. A trainer as knowledgeable as her definitely knew a fair amount of information regarding all kinds of Legendaries.

"Wait," answered Robert, "Ash, if it wasn't one of the three Legendary birds of Kanto, what could it be? The only other Legendary known to be native to Kanto is Mew, and it is said to be a bipedal, feline pokemon."

Ash pivoted his eyes between Robert and Sebastian as he answered. "I believe you guys mentioned something about foreign Legendaries. Maybe it was one of those?"

"_Hmm…" _drawled Sebastian, "It's definitely possible. There isn't anything that binds a Legendary to their native region. As a matter of fact, many believe that most of the Legendaries originated from the same place before being distributed by the Creator."

"Creator?" questioned Ash, whose question was accompanied by a plethora of interested eyes.

"Eh…" retorted Sebastian, disregarding the topic with an additional wave of his hand, "it's just an old legend. Let's not get off topic."

He paused before engaging Ash with a much more serious disposition.

"Can you describe the avian's features?" asked the scientist. "Did you get a good look at it?"

"I can, and I did," answered Ash quickly and definitively. "I'll never forget what it looked like. It was magnificent."

All of a sudden, Sabrina interjected. "If you need any help, let me know. I can see the memory too after all. I'm sure you'll manage, but I'm here just in case you need my assistance with a description."

"Thanks, Sabrina," said Ash with a smile as a vibrant image of the majestic, golden bird shimmered amidst his thoughts. "I'll be fine, though. I remember pretty clearly what it looked like."

"I knew you'd say that," replied Sabrina, bearing a faint smirk. "I just figured I would extend the offer."

Ash gave Sabrina a friendly nod before turning his attention back over to Austin, Robert, Bill and Sebastian.

"Would you please share now, Mr. Ketchum?" asked Sebastian. "I'm starting to get anxious."

"The old man's got a point, Ash," inserted Bill. "Don't leave us hanging any longer."

Robert and Austin both nodded in agreement as they waited for Ash to speak up.

"Alright, alright, jeez," laughed Ash. "Let's see…

He took a moment to close his eyes while he pictured as clear of an image as he could. He saw gold, red, yellow, green and white—which were all different colored feathers he remembered seeing on the bird.

He remembered the glowing green stripe that wrapped around the avian's neck, the golden yellow beak that pierced the heavens as it soared, and the black rings that encompassed its primordial, red eyes.

Ash recalled the brilliant, yellow crest on top of its head, and he remembered the rainbow colored trail that it left in the sky every time it flapped its prismatic wings…

"…A golden rainbow" murmured Ash as he daydreamed over the beautiful Legendary.

"A golden rainbow?" asked Austin. "I thought we were talking about a Legendary."

"We are talking about a Legendary," answered Ash as he regathered his sense of reality. "When I think of the bird, I picture a golden rainbow. The bases of its wings were red and gold and the tips were green. However, as it flew, it painted a beautiful rainbow in the sky. It was breathtaking."

"…Golden" started Robert with bright eyes.

"…Rainbow" finished Bill as he racked his brain.

"What else!?" questioned Sebastian excitedly. The scientist's eyes shined bright and a massive grin was beginning to form on his face. "What else do you remember!?"

Ash could tell that the scientist had an idea of what it was. He just needed a few more details in order to be sure.

"It had a large, yellow crest on top of its head," said Ash with confidence, "and black rings around its scarlet red eyes. When it flew over me, I couldn't help but feel _happy_."

As soon as Ash finished his last sentence, Sebastian let out a burst of joyous laughter, acquiring the befuddled attention of everyone in the room.

"Ash Ketchum, no wonder everyone here thinks so highly of you!" exclaimed Sebastian as he jovially patted the ten-year-old boy on the back. "You've been acknowledged by the very essence of divinity! The Legendary you saw will only show itself to the anointed one."

"Huh?" questioned Ash. "What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, Sebastian," interrupted Robert, "what in the bloody hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on, Robert," retorted Sebastian. "You've heard the legend of the _chosen."_

"…Cho—" managed Robert before Bill abruptly interrupted.

"'_Until the day that the pure of heart is approved by the Guardian of the Skies_, _no eyes shall fall upon her rainbow wings. When the tower fades, her presence will follow, waiting for the day the chosen's journey begins_' bloody hell," mused Bill with a look of astonishment on his face. "Ash...you saw Ho-Oh."

"You're bloody kidding me!?" exclaimed Robert.

"Ho-Oh?" queried Ash. "What's a Ho-Oh?"

"Now, just for clarification purposes, I'm assuming you guys aren't talking about the little owl creature in Johto, right?" asked Austin in a befuddled manner.

"No, Austin Turner, that is a hoothoot," retorted Sabrina with an amused expression on her face. "Ho-Oh is a legendary fire/flying-type native to Johto—at least according to legend. To my knowledge, no one has seen it since ancient times. The only proof of its existence available to the public is a sacred flame that has burned for centuries in the Dragon's Den in Johto, and a shrine that exists at the top of the Tin Tower in Ekruteak City."

She paused.

"The shrine has a statue of Ho-Oh, which is titled: _Guardian of the Skies_. _Guardian of the Skies_ is referenced in a multitude of different pieces of ancient literature. However, it's most famous appearance is in the _Legend of the Chosen One, _which is a legend that supposedly has been passed down to all of the regions since the beginning of time."

"Wow…" drawled Ash, "so, let me get this straight. Does that mean I'm part of a legend?"

"If you saw Ho-Oh, it's possible," interrupted Sebastian. "However, I can't know for sure. I'm not an expert on ancient prophecy, and _the Legend of the Chosen One_ is a lengthy one. Unless one of these guys has a copy of it on them, you're going to have to wait for a definite answer."

He took a breath as he raised his hand to his chin.

"The only parts I know have to do with the '_Guardian of the Skies_' and the '_Guardian of the Sea_', which are references to Ho-Oh and another Legendary from Johto named Lugia. Ho-Oh's role is to approve and bless the _Chosen One_ at the beginning of his/her journey, and Lugia's role is to help the _Chosen One_ with a great task. The rest I don't know."

"I only know the part about Ho-Oh," said Bill, "I kind of wrote the legend off as a fairy tale and never extensively looked into it."

"Same," added Robert.

"I've never heard of it at all," said Austin with a shrug.

"Other than Ho-Oh and Lugia, I know there are some references of Mew, but I don't know what they are," added Sabrina, "Anytime I've tried to study the legend, I've gotten a strange feeling that told me to stop. I didn't think it was worth the trouble to dig. I figured if destiny wanted me to look into it, I would get a more positive feeling about it."

"That makes sense," retorted Austin as Ash took a moment to process what was going on.

"Does anyone here have a written copy of the prophecy?" asked Ash. "If so, is there any way I can borrow it?"

"I have a partial copy at the gym," said Sabrina, "but if you truly want to pursue the idea that you might be the Chosen One, you should probably get a complete copy."

Bill interrupted, "I'm pretty positive that there is a complete copy in the library at the Montgomery Lighthouse. That place is full of rare and valuable books. I think I remember coming across it pretty recently."

"There is," added Robert as he turned his attention towards Bill. "Your grandfather was rather fond of prophecies and legends. He kept a copy somewhere in the library. I remember listening to him read out of it when I was a kid. Most of it went over my head, but I do remember the part about Ho-Oh rather clearly."

"Gotcha'," answered Ash before looking at the younger of the two Montgomery's. "Bill, do you think that you can track that copy down and send it to me whenever you return to the lighthouse."

"Absolutely, my friend!" exclaimed Bill as he nodded his head. "That shouldn't be a problem."

"Great," said Ash with a straight face as he mused about the prospect of playing an instrumental role in history.

At this moment in time, he didn't quite know how he felt about it. He had a feeling that the role of the _Chosen One_ would lead to a surplus of inconvenient circumstances similar to what he had dealt with on the SS _Anne _and in Saffron_. _If that was the case, Ash could see the legend becoming a nuisance. He was just ten after all, and his dream was to become a pokemon master, not a historical icon.

He had no qualms about helping out when necessary, but if necessary turned into all of the time, his outlook might change. He wasn't a superhero or an anime character. He was Ash Ketchum: a ten-year-old boy with a big dream.

Now, maybe it was possible that his dream and destiny's purpose for anointing him as _Chosen _coincided. However, Ash didn't want to think about that right now. If it was meant to happen, destiny will put it all in place.

Besides, all of this stuff about the _Chosen One _had yet to be confirmed. It was highly possible that everyone was getting excited for nothing. He hadn't read the legend. As a matter of fact, he'd never even heard about it.

Until Bill sent him that copy sometime in the future, he would choose to keep his mind focused on his journey. That was really all he could do. He would wait until he studied the prophecy himself, surely then he would be able to find out if there was any truth to the claims that his friends were making.

"What's on your mind, Ash?" asked Bill with curious eyes. "You've gotten quiet all of a sudden."

"Um…yeah," drawled Ash, "I was just thinking that I would rather think about this later. Right now, it would be nice if we could finish up this conversation and see the rest of headquarters. There's not much I can do about this prophecy until I read it myself."

"Understandable," retorted Robert as he folded his arms and leaned back against the wall to get comfortable. "Where were we before you told us about Ho-Oh?"

"We were talking about Legendary sightings," articulated Sabrina. "We were discussing how prior to Ash's sighting of Ho-Oh, there had only been two documented Legendary sightings in a Kanto within the past ten-years."

She paused.

"You were supposed to tell us about an incident that had happened recently," said Sabrina monotonously, "something involving a Legendary."

"Ah...yes, the incident," muttered Robert with a frown as he twisted his mustache. "It all started about a year ago. That's when they disappeared…"

"Disappeared?" asked Ash with curious eyes.

"Who?" added Bill.

"The who is unfortunate, although it's not quite as complicated as the what," retorted Sebastian, confusing everyone in the room other than Robert.

"Wait a second," said Bill as he scratched the back of his head, "what the bloody hell does that mean?"

"It means…" said Sebastian, "that approximately one year ago, a group of whose and a group of what's vanished without a trace."

Sebastian's words were immediately answered by a slap in the back of the head by an annoyed Robert.

"Stop being so confusing!" scolded Robert before turning his attention back over to the rest of the group. "In normal human terms, Sebastian is trying to say that a group of _people _and a group of _places _are missing."

"Okay…" drawled Bill, "so now I understand what you're talking about—"

"How is that possible?" interrupted Austin. "What exactly do you mean by without a trace_? _Like, the people were kidnapped? The places were destroyed? I don't get it."

_"_Without a trace means without a trace," retorted Sebastian as he gingerly rubbed the spot on the back of his head where Robert had slapped him. "They seemingly vanished off the face of the earth. We have no idea what happened to them?"

"_Hmm…_what people and what places have vanished?" asked Bill with a contemplative disposition.

Robert cleared his throat, garnering everybody's attention, before speaking up.

"Before I tell you, I need you to promise that you won't tell anybody about this. This is highly classified information. Lance and the Elite Four went to great lengths to make sure that what I'm about to tell you didn't get out to the public. We don't want to freak out the general populace."

Ash nodded, agreeing to stay quiet. If the Champion had deemed the information too much for the public to handle, he figured that there had a good reason. The League didn't keep secrets for no reason.

There was a purpose for everything they did. At least, that's how Ash had always perceived things. Who knows, maybe he was justifying their decisions because he looked up to the position that they occupied.

Robert continued.

"I'll start by explaining the situation regarding the disappearance of the places, since they were the first to go," said Robert as he fiddled with his tie. "It happened within the span of a week. Eleven large, unpopulated, tropical islands that served as wild pokemon reserves disappeared."

He paused.

"They were isolated and protected by the League. Only a small division of League officials and researchers were aware of their existence and allowed clearance to conduct research on the islands."

Everyone in the room looked at each other in bewilderment while soaking in what Robert had just said.

"Eleven wild pokemon reserves secret to the public and most of the League," said Bill, "Where? Information is one thing, but how do you hide eleven islands? They must be far away."

"Actually, they aren't," retorted Bill, "they're just a few hundred miles north of Kanto and about five hundred miles east of the small Holon region. The eleven islands make up an archipelago that used to belong to the Holon region, albeit it was Lance's idea to quietly purchase it from Holon roughly five years ago."

Robert let out a sigh before continuing.

"Lance originally intended to populate the untamed archipelago and turn it into the site of an unofficial summer gym circuit, resembling the Orange League, but it didn't work out."

"Why not?" questioned Ash with an inquisitive look on his face.

"Yeah, why not?" asked Austin. "It sounds like a pretty good idea to me."

"When I first heard about it, I asked the same thing," said Robert. "However, Lance had a good reason to terminate the project. It was way too dangerous. Those islands were uninhabited by humans for a reason. They're different."

"Different?" questioned Austin. "Why?"

"Without going off on another long tangent, the quick answer is that they're home to a lot of exorbitantly powerful wild pokemon. Due to disgruntled native pokemon, any attempt at establishing a town or a city failed. For whatever reason, the majority of the species are feral and do not take well to human occupancy," explained Robert."

"Weird…" drawled Bill before raising his eyes curiously, "I thought you said that the islands consisted of reserves."

"They do," retorted Sebastian, cutting off Robert. "However, they don't resemble your typical bordered reserves that exist in mainland Kanto. Once Champion Lance deemed them too dangerous to colonize, he decided that they would serve well as self-sufficient wild reserves in and of themselves. Other than a select few pokemon researchers – who work out of structures that more closely resemble fortresses than pokemon labs – and the ACE trainers that guard them, no one dwells within the islands."

"Okay, Robert, Sebastian, I think everyone understands your description of the islands," said Sabrina. "Would you mind elaborating about their disappearance?"

"Oh, of course, the disappearance…" muttered Robert as he scratched the back of his head. "It's pretty self-explanatory, although that doesn't change the fact that it is hard to believe. A year ago, they mysteriously vanished. One second they were there and the next they were gone. No explanation. No logic. Nothing. It's as if they never existed."

Their eyes collectively glanced back and forth as they tried to come up with an answer to the bizarre phenomenon.

"Obscuration? Unstable coordinates? Rapid descent? Surely, there is an answer. Islands just don't vanish, Dad!" blurted Bill.

"Calm down, Bill, don't you think that Kanto's best researchers would have considered all of those solutions. There is no weather phenomenon that has made the island difficult to reach. The coordinates have surely changed, but they were never unstable beforehand, and the archipelago wasn't a drifting island," retorted Robert.

He paused.

"Rapid descent is impossible, nevertheless, we looked into it," continued Robert. "The island didn't sink. Kanto's had submarines dive as deep as five-thousand meters, and they found nothing. We've had high-level wailord dive even deeper—nothing."

"But, what other natural means are there?" asked Bill.

"None that could explain something like this," snorted Sebastian. There's nothing natural about this situation."

"Well, if it wasn't natural, is it possible that they could have been destroyed?" asked Austin as he folded his arms in a confused manner.

Ash immersed himself within his thought process as Sebastian responded by shaking his head.

"There would be leftover ruins or at the very least fragments of debris," said the scientist. "Destruction is typically messy after all, and destruction of that level always leaves scars. There are none, though. So, it's highly improbable that we are dealing with decimation."

"Well, if they didn't vanish naturally or unnaturally, what other option is there?" asked Austin.

"Supernaturally," interrupted Ash with wide eyes.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," added Sabrina while surveying Ash with calculating eyes.

"A supernatural cause, eh?" questioned Bill as he scratched his chin. "I guess that's the only thing it really could be."

"Hold on a second…" drawled Austin with a look of bewilderment, "when you say supernatural, what exactly are you implying?"

"Honestly, I'm not one-hundred percent sure," said Robert with a frustrated sigh. "However, it has to be some kind of pokemon. At least, that's the only logical explanation I can think of."

"Logical!" blustered Austin, "how is that logical!? What pokemon could make an entire archipelago suddenly disappear?"

"The kid has a point, Dad. Even a surplus of elite level mystic-types couldn't pull off something of that magnitude," angled Bill. "Only a Legend—"

Bill stopped himself mid-sentence when a small smile formed across Robert's face.

"…Bloody hell."

"Now we're getting somewhere," interjected Sebastian as he examined all of the astonished faces in the vault. "I'm surprised it took you so long to figure it out. The entire premise of this conversation has revolved around Legendaries. We brought this incident up on account of the fact that we were discussing protection from them."

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone took a moment to work it out on their own.

"Wait," said Austin, severing the lack of noise, "you think a Legendary did this?"

"There's no other answer," retorted Sebastian as he looked the teenager in the eyes. "Only something with unimaginable ability could do something like this. It is outside the realm of normality, which is where Legends reside. Only a Legendary could do this. It's the only feasible explanation."

"Sebastian is right," reassured Robert. "Obviously we're not a hundred percent sure, but the culprit of the disappearing islands is probably a Legendary. They're the only beings capable of such a feat."

"Okay…" drawled Ash, speaking up as he racked his brain, "so let's say it is a Legendary. Which one do you think it is? Do you have any in mind?"

"We do," retorted Robert, "there are multiple possibilities, but we think we've narrowed it down to a few."

"And?" queried Bill. "Would you please share them with us?"

"Of course," answered Robert while straightening out his sleeves, "Sebastian, would you tell them what we've come up with?"

The scientist scratched his chin in thought before answering. "Well, like the boss said, we have a few theories. However, there is one that I am presently leaning towards…"

He took a breath as he removed the shaggy hair from his eyes.

"I believe I mentioned the Legendary classification system, right?" asked Sebastian with a raised eyebrow.

He acquired a collection of nods in response to his question.

"That's what I thought," said Sebastian. "Now, without confusing you guys, I would like to explain that not just any Legendary could pull something like this off. We're probably looking at an S-ranked Legendary or higher. The classification system is based off of power, duty and lore. If the system is correct, anything classified as A or lower wouldn't be capable of a feat of this magnitude."

Just like everyone else in the room, Ash simply nodded his head. Sure, he had a lot of questions that he could ask. But, at this point, he just wanted to get to the point. All of the fluff could be explained later. Judging by the fact that nobody else asked any questions, Ash assumed that their logic was operating on the same wavelength.

"Based off of where we are in the world, and the fact that the Legendary is most likely S-ranked or higher, we are probably dealing with Mew," said Sebastian matter-of-factly.

Their jaws dropped at the mention of the celestial psychic.

"M-m-mew?" questioned Bill with wide-eyes.

"Damn…" drawled Austin, "really!?"

Sabrina had a small smile depicted across her face. She had probably read Robert and Sebastian's minds a while ago and found out what Legendary they suspected, so she didn't look too surprised. However, she was a psychic specialist, and several legends clearly suggest that Mew is one of the strongest psychics in the world. It's only natural that she would be happy at the prospect that the Legendary's existence was real and not just a myth.

"Why Mew?" asked Ash, unable to suppress his curiosity, despite the fact that he was trying to limit his questions. "Other than the fact that Mew is rumored to live in this part of the world, and it is an S-ranked Legendary, what other evidence do you have?"

"Its skill set," retorted Sebastian without hesitation, "Mew is said to be an astronomically powerful psychic. On account of the fact that the islands disappeared unnaturally, without any sign of destruction, we have reason to believe that they were teleported, especially when you factor in the next day disappearance of the Nurse Joys working out of small town and rural pokemon centers."

Ash scoffed as he soaked in the newest bit of information.

"The people that disappeared were Nurse Joys?!" questioned Ash.

Even Sabrina looked surprised as Ash's question echoed off the walls of the walk-in vault.

"Yes, Mr. Ketchum," said Sebastian with a solemn look on his face. "The day after the archipelago vanished, thirty-three Nurse Joys suffered a similar fate."

"Thirty-three!?" blustered Bill, "bloody fuc—"

"You mean to tell me that thirty-three Nurse Joys have been missing for a year, and this has been kept a secret from not only the public, but also the majority of Kanto's League officials!" shouted Sabrina, raising her voice.

"That would be correct," said Robert, "insane, right? I do not blame Lance for his decision to keep it a secret, but it blows my mind that he managed to pull it off. The Nurse Joys were replaced the following day, and the family vowed to remain quiet. Despite their considerable loss, they trust that they are out there somewhere, and Lance will find them."

"How were they replaced so fas—" said Ash before cutting himself off, "never mind, conspiracies regarding the Joy family aren't really appealing to me at the moment."

"Good call," retorted Sebastian, "let's refrain from opening up another can of weedle."

"Hold on a second," interrupted Austin. "How do you know that these two events are related? Couldn't it just be a coincidence that they occurred so close together?"

"There's a chance, but it's highly improbable," answered Sebastian as he scratched underneath his chin. "First of all, the islands most likely vanished by means of teleportation. It's literally the only remaining logical answer for the archipelago, and the Nurse Joys were definitely kidnapped by teleportation."

"Okay…" drawled Austin, "I understand why the only logical option for the islands is teleportation, but what makes you think the Joys were teleported. Do you have proof?"

"We do," said Robert, "there are videos."

"Videos?" asked Austin.

"Of what?" questioned Ash.

"All pokemon centers have security cameras," answered Robert. "Whatever kidnapped the Joys was sloppy. It didn't destroy the cameras. Therefore, at all of the Pokemon Centers in which Nurse Joys were taken, we found footage of what took place."

"Really?" said Ash, "what did it show?"

It was quiet for a second as Robert evidently mused about a solid description.

"All of the Nurse Joys were standing at their respective front desks when it happened. Simultaneously, at thirty-three different pokemon centers, a white light, identical in appearance to the light emitted during teleportation, appeared out of nowhere and seemingly swallowed them. When it faded, they were gone, and there were no living eyewitnesses. If it weren't for the cameras, we would have no idea what happened. Whatever took them did it at a time when all of the pokemon centers were void of any visitors, and the rest of the staff was in the medical wing."

He paused.

"Scary isn't it," continued Robert. "Thirty-three Nurse Joys and an entire archipelago gone within forty-eight hours. The only proof, other than the fact that they're missing, is thirty-three different pieces of security footage, which all look nearly identical, albeit the fact that they happened at different pokemon centers in Kanto. This is like something straight out of a horror flick."

"When they vanished, did you catch a glimpse of whatever teleported them?" asked Ash.

"No," retorted Sebastian, "nothing else is on the video, just the light and the Nurse Joys. The league's most brilliant tech experts have even managed to diminish the light in the video, and there is no being within it. Despite the fact that it sounds absurd, it appears that whatever performed the teleportation did it from a distance."

"Isn't that impossible?" asked Austin, "I know a powerful psychic doesn't have to touch what it teleports, but doesn't it have to at least see what it's doing. Could the culprit have found a breach in each camera's line of sight and been hiding somewhere within the room."

That's unlikely," said Sebastian. "The cameras are placed strategically, so that they can see every part of the centers, including the medical wing. Besides, whatever took them was probably not aware of the cameras. Otherwise, it would have destroyed them."

"Keep in mind," said Sabrina as she looked Austin in the eyes, "just because a psychic of my level needs to be relatively close to what it's teleporting, If Mew is the Legendary responsible for this, it is bound to operate on an entirely different set of rules. I may be strong, but Mew is an ancient Legend for a reason. I wouldn't even begin to put a cap on what it is capable of."

"Wisely spoken," answered Robert, with a smile, before using his eyes to look over everyone in the vault. "An S-ranked Legendary, like Mew, can't be put in a box. Who truly knows what kind of power it wields."

"Why, though?" questioned Ash. "I thought Mew was a peaceful creature. Isn't that what the legends say? What motive could it possibly have for relocating an entire archipelago and kidnapping a bunch of Nurse Joys? Something doesn't add up."

"_Didn't_," said Sebastian with a smirk, "something _didn't_ add up. However, a few things have been unveiled over the past week that could explain it."

A light bulb turned on in his head as Ash instantly figured out what Sebastian was referencing.

"It was the abomination…" muttered Ash, "it was the beast that Sabrina saw in Ariana's thoughts. The one who's DNA was spliced from Mew."

"That's the conclusion that we've come to," answered Robert with a frown. "Mew may not have a motive to do something like this, but a creature born with similar qualities by an organization like Team Rocket…Well, I'm sure you know where we're going with this."

"Shit…" cursed Bill, "we're in trouble, aren't we?"

"Something around the same power level as a Mew is under the control one of the biggest criminal syndicates in the world," articulated Sabrina with troubled eyes, "so, I would say, yes, we're in trouble."

Ash glanced over at Austin, who was clearly disturbed by the direction that the conversation was going. The ten-year-old boy's mind all of a sudden jumped back to the conversation he had partaken in with his teenage friend on his first night in Saffron, when Austin was fretting about the reason Team Rocket was going after the Master Ball.

It had turned out to be even worse than they imagined. Team Rocket had either gone after the Master Ball in order to take away Kanto's only defense against the abomination, or they needed the Master Ball to help control their creation themselves. Who knows, maybe it was a combination of both.

Nevertheless, whatever the reason was, one thing was made clear, the Master Ball was essential for Kanto's survival.

If the monster ingrained in Ariana's head was actually responsible for the disappearance of the archipelago and the Nurse Joys, Team Rocket's plan was momentous, dangerous and complex. No one outside of the organization knew exactly what they were up to, but hopefully they would find out more as Sabrina continued to examine Ariana's mind.

"Essentially," retorted Sebastian, continuing the conversation and penetrating Ash's rumination. "At the very least, Kanto has been threatened, and that threat is what birthed the Master Ball."

"Therefore…" interrupted Robert as he fixed his suit, "to answer your question that originally started this conversation, Ash, the Master Ball's existence is absolutely necessary. Despite the trouble it has caused us, we would be in a much more hopeless position if it hadn't been created. Its value is priceless. If it wasn't, Team Rocket wouldn't have come out of hiding to try and attain it."

Ash simply nodded his head. It seemed as though all of the trouble he had been through over the past couple of weeks was for a lot bigger of a purpose than he had originally thought. He hadn't just helped save Robert. He hadn't just helped shutdown Team Rocket's greed and deny them a fancy capture device. He had been a part of protecting the region, which was something way bigger than himself.

"So, now that we know all of this," said Bill, "is there anything we can do to help?"

Robert shook his head before answering. "At the moment, no, there isn't. Once we get more information, we will revisit this topic. As for now, let's show the boys the rest of headquarters, so that they can get going. I wasn't expecting to have this conversation with them yet, and I don't want to hold them up on their individual journeys any longer."

"I agree," added Sabrina as she ran her fingers through her hair, "there is nothing we can do about any of this until we learn more."

"Which is entirely up to you and your psychic powers," retorted Bill as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and formed a sarcastic smirk. "No pressure."

Sabrina shook her head in annoyance while Robert interjected.

"I know this has been a lot to process for all of you," said the head of the Montgomery family, "but it's really important that you continue to live life in pursuit of your dreams. Time will unveil your roles in all of this, and everything will work out. Let Sebastian and I worry about all of the little details, and when something big comes up, we will let you know. For now, let's get moving."

"Okay," said Ash as he tried to ingest all of the information that had just been thrown around.

"Understood," stammered Austin with an overwhelmed expression on his face.

Ash readjusted his backpack as it became clear that after the long conversation, they were about to start moving again.

"It was nice meeting you guys," said Sebastian as he eyed Ash and Austin, "and after the conversation we just had, I'm sure I will see you again. I'm going to hang back in the vault for a bit. I have some notes filed away in here that I would like to review."

"Nice meeting you, too," retorted Austin as he reached out to shake Sebastian's hand, who quickly reciprocated the gesture.

"Thanks for being open with us," inserted Ash as he intercepted and shook Sebastian's hand before the scientist had a chance to return it to his side.

"Of course," retorted Sebastian, "any friends of Robert are friends of mine. It was nice getting to talk about my work."

Ash smiled at that while Robert spoke up. "Thanks for your time, Sebastian. See you soon."

"Mhmm…" replied Sebastian as Robert began to lead the group out of the vault.

Right as Ash and the rest of the group were about to reach the door, the ten-year-old boy heard Sebastian's voice call out from behind them.

"Hey, Mr. Ketchum!" bellowed Sebastian, causing Ash to quickly turn around. "Don't forget to look into that stuff about you being the _Chosen One_! Just in case you really are, I think you should find out as soon as possible!"

"Gotcha'!" retorted Ash, with a wave, before turning around and continuing to follow the group outside of the vault.

Sebastian was right. He needed to look into the fact that he may be part of an ancient prophecy. However, for now, he wanted to focus back in on touring Silph Co. headquarters.

He couldn't look into the prophecy until he got a copy from Bill anyways, and presently there was nothing he could accomplish in regard to Team Rocket's abomination, so he figured he might as well focus in on the here and now.

In his opinion, that was the best thing he could do.

XXX

After seeing the rest of the impressive upper labs, Ash found himself standing in front of Robert's personal desk, which was pushed up against the far wall of the building's luxurious top floor.

Robert's office was a lot smaller than the rest of the floors, but that didn't mean it was any less interesting.

They stood atop magnificent pearly white tile, and for the most part, the walls consisted of sturdy, transparent glass, gracing them with a beautiful view of the city. The only two walls that didn't consist of glass were the wall that bore the elevator and the wall directly behind Robert's desk.

The two walls that weren't made out of glass were actually Ash's favorite features in the room. They were designed similarly to the Montgomery Lighthouse's front door, albeit the walls depicted hieroglyphic-like images of what appeared to be every pokemon known to Kanto, instead of just fully-evolved species.

Painted on the ceiling was a ravishing mural, nearly identical to the painting of the three elemental birds of legend at the Montgomery Lighthouse. The only differences included its size and colors. The mural was massive, occupying the entirety of the top floor's ceiling, whereas the colors were much brighter and appealing to his eyes.

Displaced around the room were multiple pieces of standing décor.

There were a couple of life-sized statues of pokemon. The one that stood out to Ash the most was a granite carved statue of a dragonair that was coiled up alongside Robert's desk. Its eyes were made out of sapphires, causing it to have a noteworthy air of mystique.

In addition, there was a large, marble globe in the center of the room. Ash didn't really get a chance to examine it, but hopefully once Robert was done giving them their gifts, he would let them explore the room a little bit before they took off.

Ash didn't know when he would get another chance to see Robert's office, so he figured he should get a good look while he had the opportunity.

"Well, boys…" said Robert as he sat down in the most extravagant swivel chair Ash had ever seen, "what did you think of Silph Co. headquarters?"

"It was amazing," retorted Ash as he spotted Austin, out of the corner of his eye, staring at the two small, exquisitely wrapped presents sitting on top of Robert's immaculate desk.

"Yeah," stammered Austin, "it was unbelievable. Thank you for showing us."

"No thanks necessary," said Robert with a giant grin, "the fact that you enjoyed yourselves is all that matters."

Ash and Austin both smiled at Robert's comment before Bill spoke up.

"What was your favorite part?" asked Bill. "Is there anything that specifically stood out to the both of you?"

"The Master Ball," answered both of the boys, in unison, without batting an eye.

"Really?" questioned Robert. "Even considering the serious chat that we had?"

Both boys nodded as they looked at each other.

"Other than the initial shock of the disappearances, I think we're just happy to know the truth," said Ash.

"Yeah, we've suspected that the existence of the Master Ball had to do with Legendaries for a while now," retorted Austin as he turned his attention over to Ash. "Neither of us knew the severity of the situation, but now that we've had a little bit of time to process things, I think we're relieved that we know what's going on."

"Yup," said Ash, "but just because it was our favorite part doesn't mean that I want to keep talking about it. I don't know if it's just me, but I'm tired of serious talk. I just want to enjoy my last moments with you guys before I hit the road again."

"Same," added Austin as both boys used their eyes to survey the group.

"Understandable," said Robert. "Anyways, other than what occurred on the fourteenth floor, is there anything else in particular that you liked?"

Ash took a moment to reflect on everything that he had seen while Austin answered immediately.

"I liked the factory," blurted Austin. "I thought it was interesting to see how efficient everything was. It was the first time I've ever seen anything like that before."

"Ah, yes, the factory is definitely an interesting place to visit," explained Robert. "It shines a light on all of the hard work that goes into making most of the items that you use on a daily basis."

They nodded in agreement as Robert pivoted his focus over to Ash.

"What about you, Ash?"

"I really liked the TM Lab," said the ten-year-old boy. "There were a lot of cool things in there."

"Yeah," replied Robert, "the TM Lab is rather sensational, and the scientists I've got working in there are brilliant. It's almost impossible to walk out of that place without being impressed by what they have accomplished. They're quite the overachieving group."

Ash nodded his head once again to what the billionaire CEO had to say before Bill interrupted.

"Those are two of my favorite floors to visit as well," said Bill. "I don't think I could pick one over the other, though."

He paused as he shifted his line of sight over to his father.

"Anyhow...Dad, what do you think? Should Ash and Austin open their gifts now? I know they're dying to find out what is inside, and it's about time for them to get going. We don't want to waste anymore daylight. If we wait too much longer, it'll be dark before they reach city limits."

"The idiot's right," added Sabrina, speaking for the first time since they entered Robert's office, "the boys' thoughts are starting to stir. They're ready to see what is inside the boxes. Besides, if you want to take them to the roof, we've got to get moving. Daylight is a precious thing while on the road, and I'm afraid this tour has taken way longer than originally anticipated. If we wait around too much longer, they'll be forced to leave tomorrow, unless they want to travel in the dark."

Ash watched Bill huff at the fact that Sabrina called him an idiot while Austin responded to Sabrina. He also couldn't help but smile at the fact that he was going to get to go to the very top of Silph Co. headquarters. The dark-haired boy knew that very few people got the opportunity to look out from the highest point in all of Saffron.

It was supposed to be one of the greatest experiences Kanto had to offer. Ash had to admit, despite all of the trouble he had gotten himself into at this point in his journey, he had also been extremely lucky. Not everyone got the opportunities that he did, and experiences such as this one were important to him.

Not only was it his dream to be a pokemon master, but he also wanted to see everything that his home region had to offer, and thus far, he was well on his way to accomplishing that goal.

"Yeah…" drawled Austin, "there's no way I'm going to fly to Johto at night. That's way too sketch. I trust Fearow's eyes, but still…"

"That would just be stupid," retorted Ash as he severed his rumination, "especially since you're going to be flying over Mt. Silver."

He took a breath as he reflexively placed his hand over Growlithe's pokeball.

"I don't plan on traveling in the dark either," said Ash, "but I'm anxious to sleep under the stars with my friends again. It's been way too long. I definitely want to hit the road today."

"I understand," retorted Robert with soft eyes. "There's no need for you to convince me."

He paused as he made a small hand gesture towards the beautifully wrapped gifts, "Go ahead. Open them."

Both boys' expressions brightened up on account of anticipation. They simultaneously reached forward before exclusively picking up one of the gifts that were right in front of them. Neither of the gifts had names on them, and Robert didn't correct them, so Ash figured there wasn't an issue in regard to which gift belonged to whom.

Once they each had their present in hand, it didn't take long for Austin to start ripping apart the golden wrapping paper like a kindergartener on their birthday.

Despite the hilarity in the scene, Ash wasn't surprised in the least. Austin had shown him numerous times that he was extremely materialistic, and there are very few things more exciting to a materialistic person than opening up a present.

Nevertheless, although he was internally making fun of Austin for behaving like a five-year-old, Ash proceeded to follow suit, tearing off the wrapping paper with zero regard for its precedent artistry. He was a kid after all. What else was he supposed to do? The wrapping paper would just be thrown away after anyway…

When the golden paper that had covered the gifts had been completely removed from what it was once concealing, two small, black boxes were unveiled. They looked almost identical to the TM box that Sabrina had given him after their match, albeit the bold, white, printed words read, "_Silph Co"._

"What's this?" asked Ash as he held the black box in his hands.

"Open it up and find out," replied Robert with a smirk while leaning back in his desk chair.

"Huh?" questioned Austin, causing Ash to quickly open the box before his friend spoiled the surprise, "a gift card?"

Just like Austin, Ash was confused. Inside of the box was a plastic, platinum colored card. The dark-haired boy removed it from the box to exam it further. What he found was that it had no detailed features. It wasn't like a credit card or a debit card. There was no name or company etched into it. It had a magnetic stripe on the back, but other than that it was blank, consisting of nothing but its platinum shade.

"I don't mean to be rude," said Ash, "but I don't get it. What is this card for? It's blank."

"Yeah," added Austin as he carefully observed both sides of his card, "I'm confused…what do we do with it?"

Robert smirked as he sat up in his chair and placed his elbows on his desk. "Well, my lads, those are Silph Co. Platinum Cards. Never let them out of your sight. They have just become the most valuable item the two of you own."

"The most valuable item we own?" asked Austin as he held his Platinum Card in between his index and middle finger, "but it's just a piece of plastic…"

"True," said Robert with a smile as he pointed at the card in Austin's hand, "it is just a piece of plastic. However, what that piece of plastic can do is head and shoulders above any other gift I could give you. The Silph Co. Platinum Card has just opened up the door to all kinds of new possibilities for you guys. Less than forty people in all of Kanto have one of those, and all of them are either high-ranking League officials or top shelf Silph Co. employees."

He paused as he took a breath and leaned back in his chair, "You two are now the youngest people in the world that have been issued one of those by me."

"Okay…" drawled Ash as he kept his eyes glued on the shiny piece of plastic, "so obviously it has a special purpose…"

"A special purpose," spat Robert with a quirky smile, "that would be an understatement. Those two cards give you free access to anything that can be bought at a pokemart and then some. All you have to do is show your card at any pokemart or Silph Co. owned company, and they will give you whatever you want for free."

"Anything we want…" drawled Austin, completely entranced by what Robert had just said.

"…For free" added Ash, equally as shocked.

"Yup," retorted Robert, "pretty mu—"

"There are only two exceptions," interjected Bill as he held an identical Platinum Card up to the boys, showing them that he had one of his own, which didn't surprise Ash.

He was Bill Montgomery, Robert Montgomery's son; of course he was one of the select few that got to carry a Silph Co. Platinum Card.

"Exception number one is actually more of a comparative rule of thumb than an exception," said Bill. "Be reasonable with how many items you get at one time. Other trainers need to buy supplies at the pokemarts too. Don't completely clear the shelves. I know it'll be hard not to overstock your supplies, but try and be respectful."

"Good point, Bill," added Robert while he winked at the boys. "We're placing a lot of trust in you guys. Trainers need supplies, and Silph Co. still needs to make a profit. Don't run rampant with those cards. Take care of the company, and we'll take care of you, got it."

"No problemo," said Austin—his eyes sparkling as he continued to examine the Platinum Card. "I promise not to go crazy with it."

"Same," inserted Ash with a look of gratitude. "You can trust me."

"Of course I can," said Robert. "I never thought for a second that I couldn't."

He paused as he turned his attention back over to Bill.

"Anyways, Bill, would you please finish what you started? Tell them what the other exception is."

"Sure," retorted Bill as he leaned up against his father's desk and looked the boys in the eyes. "Exception number two is much more concrete and will not require any diligence to abide by. The Platinum Card cannot be used to acquire TMs. I'm afraid from this day forward it is the only Silph Co. product that you will still have to pay for."

"Why's that?" asked a bemused Austin.

"Yeah," said Ash, "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but why are TMs the only items that are off-limits?"

"Well, there are a couple of reasons," retorted Bill, "but the primary reason that the Platinum Card won't work for TMs is because it is our only product with more than one developer. Silph Co. only owns half of all TMs' copyright. Therefore, it is against the law for us to give away any TMs that haven't previously been purchased. It would cause friction in our partnership with Zeta Corp, whose scientists are partially responsible for the birth of the first Technical Machine."

As soon as Bill mentioned the name Zeta Corp, a light bulb went off in Ash's head. This, of course, wasn't new knowledge to the ten-year-old boy. Zeta Corp was another large-scale, global corporation that operated out of multiple regions across the world. It wasn't quite as big and influential as Silph Co., albeit you would have to be living under a rock not to know its name.

Like Silph Co., it was a trainer-oriented company, although it focused primarily on the production of apparel. Nevertheless, Zeta Corp had its scientists, and every once in a while, they would come out with a product that was more revolutionary towards the progression of the pokemon trainer such as TMs.

Ash remembered reading somewhere that the first TM was actually designed by a Zeta Corp scientist, but they didn't have the proper technology to manufacture it. Zeta Corp did specialize in clothing and accessories after all. Despite the fact that it had a department of science that didn't mean that it had the resources to develop something like a TM.

No, Zeta Corp's science department was more suited to come out with things like customized pokemon food and vitamins. In order to properly manufacture something as complex and big as TMs, they would have to bring in another party. That's when the partnership between Silph Co. and Zeta Corp was established.

The CEO of Zeta Corp, whose name presently alluded Ash's memory, reached out to Robert Montgomery. And Robert, being the revolutionary that he is, obviously jumped all over the opportunity.

The rest is history. Zeta Corp and Silph Co. have shared a healthy relationship for quite some time now, having collaborated in regard to TMs ever since their birth.

"Oh, that's right…" drawled Ash, "I knew that. In that case, I understand. It only makes sense that you would need Zeta Corp's approval for something like the authorization of free TMs."

Austin simply nodded his head, probably finding Ash's response suitable enough.

"Correct," retorted Robert, taking back control of the conversation from Bill, "and that is something that I don't quite feel comfortable asking Sage. His company isn't quite as financially secure as ours at the moment, and I would rather not stir the pot in any way, shape or form. Our relationship is good right now. I'd like to keep it that way."

As soon as Robert said the name Sage, Ash was able to put a full name together. The name of Zeta Corp's active CEO was Sage Zeller: head of the Zeller family. Ash didn't know too much about him, other than the fact that he was the face of the Zeller family, which is one of the richest families in the world.

"I get it," said Ash, "there's no need to justify yourself. Thank you for this gift. TMs or not, it is more than I deserve. I couldn't be happier."

"Good," replied Robert. "That puts a smile to my face."

He paused as he locked his eyes on Austin.

"What about you, Mr. Turner?" queried Robert with one eyebrow raised. "Are you happy with your reward?"

"Please!" scoffed Austin, "Of course, I am! This is awesome!"

Robert smiled as both of the boys shined bright with genuine gratitude.

"Besides, free TMs might have been a bit overboard anyway," said Sabrina with a small smile of her own. "Let's not make money completely irrelevant. This way, you have a little more incentive to beat traveling trainers. Of course, the desire for experience should always be enough motivation, but it's nice to know that you are working towards something else."

"Yeah," laughed Robert with a wink, "Sabrina is right."

He paused for a second.

"Also, Ash, don't forget where you're headed. Not only is the Celadon Department store in your near future, but so is the Game Corner. There are some awesome prizes that you can earn if you are willing to fork up some cash, including rare pokemon. Now that you have a Platinum Card, you can use that to get essentials. Have a little bit of fun. Take some risks with your earnings from the SS _Anne, _it could pay off."

Ash would be the first to admit, he wasn't much of a risk taker when it came to something like money, but Robert had a point. Now that he had a Platinum Card, money was no longer a crutch.

Of course, getting third place in the SS _Anne _tournament had given him a pretty big cushion. However, that didn't change the fact that money had a way of getting away from people, especially if you weren't careful with it.

However, as of right now, that cushion had just gone from big to colossal. No matter what balance his trainer money management account read, he would always have his Platinum Card. The means to survival were now free, leaving him with plenty of leeway to use his money on luxury items and recreation.

He'd heard plenty of stories about trainers walking away from the Game Corner with incredibly rare pokemon. Now, he had an opportunity to be one of those trainers. He wouldn't be stupid. He wouldn't blow all of his money, but he could now afford to spend a good chunk of it.

"Damn…" cursed Austin, flashing Ash a look of jealousy, "Celadon _would_ be your next destination. How lucky can you get? You're going to have so much fun with all of that cash, especially now that you don't have to worry about how much you spend."

Ash responded with a chuckle, "Ah, come on…don't be like that. No one's saying you can't come with me."

"I wish," angled Austin, "unfortunately, if I want to compete it the Silver Conference, I can't wait any longer. I'm already three weeks behind schedule because of everything that has happened. I have zero regrets, I'd do it all over again if I had the choice, but I have to get back to Johto ASAP."

"I know," Ash snickered, "I was just kidding. Besides, it's not like all of your prize money is going anywhere. You can always make a trip with Fearow once you get all of your badges."

"True," said Austin with a devious look in his eyes, "I could, couldn't I—"

"Boys," interjected Robert, "I don't mean to interrupt, but if you want to hit the road before dark, we really should get going. That is, if you guys still want to go up to the roof. If not, take your time."

"We're done," retorted Ash."

"Yup," said Austin, "I have nothing left to say."

"Alrighty then," cackled Robert as he stood up from his desk chair. "Well, now that you've received your Platinum Cards, let's finish the tour."

Everyone nodded before following Robert out of his office and back over to the elevator.

XXX

"Wow, Growlithe, look at all of that," said Ash as he and his starter looked out at the city from the roof of Silph Co. headquarters.

Growlithe let out a playful yip while soaking in the beautiful scenery. The pup had his head poking through the railing in order to get the best view possible.

It was wondrous. The sun was still shining radiantly in the sky, and the temperature was absolutely perfect. It was a little windy, but that didn't deter him from the moment. In fact, it actually enhanced the mystique of the setting, giving Silph Co. an overwhelming resemblance to the peak of a great mountain—except, instead of a rural valley, they were looking out at a bustling cityscape.

The others were scattered about, enjoying their own moment on top of what felt like the world.

Austin was basking in the view with Golduck by his side, whereas Robert and Bill were getting some quality father and son time on the opposite side of the roof.

Sabrina was the closest to Ash in terms of proximity, albeit she seemed the furthest away because of the way she stared at the sprawling city as if there was nothing else that existed.

"What a great way to close out our time here," said Ash, leaning up against the roof's thick metal railing, "so much happened here. It's kind of surreal to think that we're finally leaving."

The puppy pokemon let out a decisive grunt that signified that he agreed with what his trainer had said. Growlithe had been with Ash since the beginning, and he knew more than anyone that their time in Saffron had been _different _than everywhere else.

They had been involved in things that weren't even on their radar when they had first started out on their journey. Saffron had forced them to grow up. It had exposed them to a whole new side of the life that they lived, plunging them into the thick of evil plots, League matters and primordial legends_._

Saffron was an important benchmark in their adventure together, and no matter how many times they revisited it, they would never forget their first experience, putting their lives on the line in order to stop Team Rocket.

However, even though a lot had happened in Saffron, Ash was practically salivating at the thought of setting out for Celadon. As he gazed out at the lively city, his craving for contingency ricocheted against every fragment of his existence. He wanted to see new places. He wanted to meet new pokemon, and he wanted to discover the depths of his pokemon's potential.

It was time to move forward. He had been stagnant for way too long.

"Take one last look, Growlithe," said Ash as he kept his eyes fastened on Saffron, "It's time to go."

Growlithe didn't make a sound as Ash could practically feel him immersing himself within the moment.

The ten-year-old boy gave his first pokemon a couple more minutes to enjoy the view before giving him a soft pat on the head.

"Come on," chirped Ash with a smile, "It's time to say goodbye to the others."

Growlithe nodded as he gave his trainer his undivided attention. The view was nice, but his yearning for the road shifted his focus in a second.

XXX

"Good luck, Ash," said Austin as he stood in front of the elevator. "Have a fun trip to Celadon. Keep in touch."

Just like the teenager had promised earlier, he wanted to stop by Sushi Deluxe before he departed. It was pretty obvious to Ash that Austin had a fascination with sushi, judging by the fact that he was still trying to fit it in his schedule even though the sun was nearing its time of descent.

"Thanks, I'll give you a call sometime soon," retorted Ash. "Have a safe trip to Johto. Take the Silver League by storm."

"Oh, I will," crowed Austin with a wink. "No doubt about it. Also, make sure to let me know if anything weird happens. Between Sabrina's palm reading and all of that prophecy crap, it's pretty clear that there will be a lot on our plate in the future."

"That's for sure," replied Ash, "I'll also let you know if anything happens involving that creation of Team R—"

"Don't worry about that right now," interrupted Robert, grasping both of the boys' shoulders. "We'll keep you filled in. Just focus on your journeys for now."

Both boys nodded as they sensed the sincerity in the elder Montgomery's voice.

There was a quick moment of silence, while they assimilated the sudden surge of seriousness, before Bill terminated the quiet atmosphere.

"Sayonara, Austin," said Bill with a solemn look on his face.

Ash's thoughts immediately shifted back to the time he was leaving the Montgomery Lighthouse. Back then, Bill had gotten extremely emotional when Ash was saying goodbye.

Once again, Ash could tell that a similar experience was about to unfold. After all, Bill was the most overemotional man he knew. What kind of goodbye would it be if a few Montgomery tears weren't shed?

"See you later, Bill," said Austin. "It was nice getting to know you. Call me if anything comes up. You've got my number."

"W-will do, my friend," stammered Bill as he clearly fought back tears. "It w-was nice getting to know you as well."

The melodramatic pokemon researcher proceeded to lean over and give Austin a hug, sniffling throughout the entire process. Ash couldn't help but snicker under his breath. Austin's confused face was way too priceless. Despite all of the time that Austin had spent with Bill over the past week, it was clear that the billionaire researcher's theatrical personality could still catch him off guard.

"This is unbearable," interjected Sabrina in an emotionless voice. "Give the child some space, idiot. No one wants to get smothered in your causeless emotions."

In response to Sabrina's harsh words, Bill instantly let go of Austin and turned around with a face full of anger. "What did you say, witch!?"

"I said stop acting like a pubescent teenager," retorted Sabrina with a look of amusement on her face. "It's repulsive."

Right before Bill erupted, Robert quickly jumped in between the two quarreling siblings. "Bloody hell, both of you, shut it! Now is not the time. We're saying goodbye to a friend."

Both of them glanced over at eAustin, who was trying his hardest not to explode with laughter.

Sabrina was the first to shape up as she quickly realized that she was acting just as childish as Bill. "Sorry about that, Austin Turner. I wish you the best of luck during your travels and eagerly await seeing you again in the near future."

Ash watched as Austin couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle, "Bye, Sabrina, thank you for everything you've done for us."

"Likewise," retorted Sabrina before getting interrupted by a slightly less enraged Bill.

"Yeah…sorry about the outburst," apologized Bill as he gestured towards Sabrina. "I just can't help it sometimes; she rubs me the wrong way."

Austin laughed. "It's okay. The two of you crack me up. I'm actually going to miss this."

"Same," added Ash as he smiled and looked over both Bill and Sabrina.

This time, Sabrina actually managed to refrain from verbally retaliating. It was pretty obvious that she didn't handle being scolded by Robert very well.

Ash's train of thought was interrupted when Robert began to say goodbye to Austin.

The elder Montgomery held his hand out to Austin, who immediately reciprocated the gesture. "Fly safely, my lad, and have a splendid time in Johto. There are a lot of amazing places to see, and the pokemon are fascinating. If you need anything, give me a call."

"Thanks, Mr. Montgomery, I'll call if anything comes up…"

He paused as a small smile crept up onto his mug.

"Don't go getting yourself kidnapped again," jested the teenager. "I'd rather not have to make another trip to Kanto for a while."

Robert chuckled as he grasped Austin's shoulder. "Trust me, child, it won't happen again."

"I'll hold you to that," chided Austin as Robert lifted his hand from his shoulder. "Anyways, I'm gonna get rollin'. If I don't go now, I'll be spending another night in Saffron."

He pivoted his eyes from Robert and focused them solely on Ash, "Next time I see you, we'll have a rematch. I'm expecting a better battle than what we had on the SS _Anne."_

"Absolutely," retorted the dark-haired boy as he watched one of his best friends back up into the open elevator.

The teenager smiled as he pressed one of the buttons on the elevator's control panel. "I'll be waiting..."

A smile formed on Ash's face as the elevator door closed, and his friend was no longer standing in front of him.

He was quiet for a moment as he reflected on Austin's absence before he was jolted back to reality by the sound of Sabrina's monotonous voice.

"Well, are you guys ready?" questioned Sabrina. "Now that we've said goodbye to Austin Turner, I'll teleport us to the western edge of the city. We can say goodbye to Ash Ketchum there."

A grin stretched across his face as he once again relished in the fact that Sabrina would be rescuing him from a tedious trip out of the city. She had offered to teleport him on their way down from the roof, and he couldn't be happier about it.

"I'm ready whenever you guys are," retorted Ash.

"Go ahead, Sabrina," added Robert.

"Give me a second to prepare myself!" blurted Bill, "teleportation makes me sic—"

Sabrina didn't even give Bill a chance to finish his sentence as they vanished in a flash of incandescent light.

XXX

"Route Seven is a straight shot to Celadon," said Sabrina as they stood outside of Saffron City's western gate, staring ahead at the large expanse of rural terrain. "Just keep going west and you'll eventually get there. If you travel from sunrise to sunset at a good pace, you could make it in about a week. However, that is a bit unrealistic. Without looking into the future, I estimate it will take you about a week and a half."

Ash simply nodded his head; Sabrina wasn't telling him anything that he hadn't already figured out on his own.

"Well, Ash my lad, for the time being, I guess this is it," said Robert in a sincere tone, initiating the farewell. "I wish you the best of luck during your trip, and like I said to Austin, do not hesitate to call if you need anything."

"See you soon, Robert," retorted Ash with a smile as he reached for Growlithe's pokeball, which was fastened around his trainer belt like usual. "Thanks for everything. I'll keep in touch…

He paused before continuing, "Stay away from Team Rocket."

"Will do, my boy," answered Robert while reaching down and ruffling Ash's hair. "Don't worry about me. Team Rocket may have fooled me once, but it won't happen again. Just worry about taking care of yourself."

Ash let out a brief bit of laughter in response to Robert before Sabrina began to utter a goodbye of her own.

"Farewell, Ash Ketchum," started Sabrina, "I have thoroughly enjoyed the time that we have spent together. I have high expectations of you moving forward. Continue to walk the path that destiny has set out for you. Whether you are just another cog in the grand scheme of things, or you are the fated Chosen One, continue to grow. The potential I have seen in our short amount of time together is impressive…"

She habitually ran her fingers through her hair while a rare smile formed across her delicate face, "Call the gym if you need help teaching Haunter how to properly use Psychic. Also, make sure that Clefairy and Haunter get plenty of time to meditate. Their mental barrier training will be for naught if you don't do anything to maintain the foundation that we have already built."

"Bye, Sabrina," said Ash. "I've enjoyed our time together as well, and I will try my best to grasp destiny's plan for me. I'll definitely give Clefairy and Haunter time to meditate, and I'll be sure to call the gym if I need help with Haunter."

"Last but not least…" replied Sabrina, "let me remind you to keep your eyes peeled for wild abra on your way to Celadon. They're rare, but you wouldn't be the first person to run into one on Route Seven. If you are one of the lucky few to find one, do not hesitate to have Haunter use Mean Look. Wild abra are very jittery and non-confrontational. They will teleport away in a heartbeat. The key to catching one is Mean Look, and your Haunter has that ability. Take advantage of it. The abra line would be a great addition to your team. Trust me."

"I'll keep all of that in mind," answered Ash as he handled Growlithe's pokeball in preparation to release him.

Ash couldn't wait to hit the road with his best friend by his side, especially since he hadn't gotten to spend much time with him today. There were too many rules involving which floors allowed pokemon, and which floors didn't, within Silph Co. headquarters that Ash figured it would be easier if he just let Growlithe rest.

Travel and training would be rigorous over the next week or so anyways. Therefore, Growlithe could use the time off of his feet. When they were on the road, his puppy pokemon was always by his side. Unlike the others, he didn't get many opportunities to rejuvenate inside of his pokeball.

Thus, other than the brief amount of time they had spent together on top of the world, today had been a rather dull day in terms of spending time with Growlithe. He couldn't wait to make up for lost time.

"Ash," drawled Bill as he abruptly stumbled out of a thick patch of brushwood.

Bill had barreled out of sight immediately after they passed through Sabrina's teleportation. He had muttered something about how he had to puke and had been gone for the past five minutes.

There were a couple of times that Ash thought he heard the sound of someone hurling in the distance, but he wrote it off as a squawking pidgey or spearow. It sounded way too inhuman to be Bill, but maybe he was wrong.

"A-Ash, I'm going to miss you," stammered Bill—sweat dripping from his face. "Have fun on your journey. I'll give you a call as soon as I get back to the lighthouse."

An uncomfortable expression crawled across Ash's mug as a sweaty Bill wrapped him up in a big hug.

"I-I'll miss you too, Bill," managed Ash as he tried to wiggle his way outside of Bill's grasp, "but I'm sure we'll see each other soon."

"You promise?!" blurted Bill as he reluctantly let go of his dearest friend.

He let out a sigh in response to Bill's overdramatic behavior. "Yes, Bill, I promise."

As soon as Ash finished his sentence, Bill quickly wiped the tears that we're starting to fall from his eyes, "Bloody hell, Ash, why didn't you say so earlier!? You got me crying for no reason."

Ash scratched the back of his head in reaction to Bill's outlandish behavior as he watched Sabrina and Robert roll their eyes out of his peripherals.

"Anyways…" said Ash as he pressed the release button on Growlithe's pokeball, "I'm sure Growlithe would like to say goodbye. After all, you're his friend as well."

Another series of tears began to cascade from Bill's eyes as Growlithe appeared in a flash. "Shit, I'm such a blighter—how could I have forgotten about my good friend Growlithe?!"

Bill crouched down and gave Growlithe a hug as he blubbered out a plethora of indecipherable nonsense. The things Bill said were hard enough to understand when he was emotionally sober. When the Pokemon researcher was having one of his frequent dramatic outbursts, it was almost impossible to make sense of him, especially when he had his face buried within Growlithe's thick fur.

Ash couldn't help but laugh at Bill's antics and the look of confusion that was depicted amidst Growlithe's current expression. Under normal circumstances, he would have let the moment drag out until either Growlithe got extremely annoyed or Bill got too tired to continue. However, right now wasn't a good time. He only had about another hour of daylight left, and he'd rather not setup camp so close to Saffron.

"Alright, Bill, I think that's enough," managed Ash in between laughter. "Growlithe and I really need to get going."

"Oh…alright," groaned Bill as he let go of Growlithe and took a couple of steps backward towards Robert and Sabrina.

The puppy pokemon proceeded to give Ash a quizzical look that half portrayed gratitude for saving him from Bill's animated clutches, but also cursed him for putting him in that situation in the first-place.

Ash just smirked. Despite the strange look Growlithe gave him, he knew he would have been more upset if he didn't give the fire-type the opportunity to say goodbye. As a matter of fact, he still vividly recalled the time that Growlithe had gotten mad at him because he didn't give the pup an opportunity to say hello to Bill over the xtranceiver.

Ash's thoughts were permeated when Sabrina, out of respect for Ash, got the attention of Bill and Robert. "Okay, now would be an appropriate time to leave Ash Ketchum be. Prepare your minds for teleportation; I will take us back to headquarters."

"Mother of—" managed Bill before erupting in the bright flash of radiant light that corresponded to Sabrina's teleportation.

Ash took a brief moment to process that his friends no longer stood in front of him before looking down at Growlithe. "Well, that was rather sudden."

The puppy pokemon let out a bewildered yip, agreeing with his best friend.

"So, they're gone…" Ash sighed as he looked down at the ground, "I'm going to miss them."

Growlithe retorted by cuddling up next to Ash's leg and releasing a quiet murmur, acknowledging Ash's doleful feelings.

The dark-haired boy leaned over and scratched his starter behind the ears while looking him in the eyes, "It's okay, buddy. We'll see them again soon. Besides, this moment should be exciting. We're off to Celadon: home of our first _real _gym battle!"

Growlithe's countenance immediately brightened up, mirroring his trainer.

The ten-year-old boy proceeded to stand up from his crouched position, adjusting his hat throughout the process.

He laid his eyes on the great, untamed domain that resided in front of him before taking a step forward.

"Follow me, Growlithe, we're headed west."

XXX

To be continued…

XXX

A/N: Alright, so I know it is a rather short chapter in comparison to my others, but I thought that this would be a good spot to cut it off. Also, I apologize for saying that Kanto 8 would include the trip to Celadon. I had to omit it until next time. I figured getting a chapter out to you guys now was more important than the chapter length. Regardless, it's still nearly 30k, so it isn't my shortest by any means.

I also want to stress that my story isn't just about the characters, but the setting is also incredibly important to me. I don't want to leave anything unexplored, which is why I thought that this chapter was incredibly important to my story. I wanted to fully explore Silph Co. headquarters. I know that it won't be anyone's favorite, but trust me…I had to write it. Next chapter will dive deep into the traveling aspect of Essence. I can't wait! The adventure is just getting started! Kanto 9 is in the works! Don't forget to favorite, follow and review.

Much love, vincentgrey21


	9. Kanto 9

A/N: Here's Kanto 9. If last chapter focused on Ash and his relationships with his human friends, this chapter is focused on his pokemon. I have to say, I love this chapter. It has probably been my favorite to write. I really think you guys will enjoy this one, and it is definitely a great change of pace after Kanto 8. Thank you for being patient.

Just a heads up, I wasn't able to get Ash to Celadon. I've come to the conclusion that I get way too carried away with character development and world building to be able to accurately predict what each chapter will include. Anyways, enjoy, and Happy New Years! You're going to have fun with this one!

Kanto 9: Essence

"Remember what I said the other day," lectured Ash with his chest out and arms folded. "Don't rely on your shell. It's a convenient catalyst, but it's hindering your ability to learn the technique."

He paused, "Protect is a projective shield created by manifesting your mental fortitude. It takes intense concentration intermixed with your inner energy. You're never going to get it to work if you keep using your physical shield, so stay out of your shell and face the attack head on, Wartortle."

The recently evolved turtle pokemon shot his trainer a cold glance before focusing his attention back on Charmander, who was his current sparring partner.

"Charmander, again!" commanded Ash.

He watched as a half purple tinted flame erupted from his lizard pokemon's maw. Despite its draconic properties, it was still an Ember, albeit repetition was beginning to reap its benefits.

Pretty soon, Charmander wouldn't be able to use Dragon Rage on Wartortle like this. As the draconic properties of the attack strengthened, and it became more of a _pure _Dragon Rage, it would become much more effective against Wartortle.

At the moment, Wartortle and Charmander's training was at a point of intersection. It was moments like this that Ash really liked to take advantage of.

He could kill two birds with one stone. With repetition, Charmander could continue to master his Dragon Rage. And at the beginning stages of learning Protect, Wartortle could opportunistically use the fire lizard's practice in order to trigger Protect without taking too much damage.

Moreover, it also helped that Wartortle and Charmander got along decently well. They were great training partners. Charmander was one of Ash's only pokemon that Wartortle actually felt like he could relate to, and the fire lizard handled the water-type's glacial personality with a lot of grace.

Even though their personalities outside of training were very different, they shared one major thing in common: an exemplary work-ethic. Both Charmander and Wartortle had an intrinsic drive to get stronger, which was a mutual quality that the two of them respected.

Entrenched in their similar scars of abandonment, Charmander and Wartortle each had a chip on their shoulder that most people and pokemon could not understand.

It had warped and reshaped their personalities. Wartortle became detached and fragmented, whereas Charmander became hypersensitive and high-strung. They were two opposite extremes. However, their similar emotional wounds allowed them to understand each other.

It was an unorthodox relationship, but somehow it worked.

Now, Ash wouldn't necessarily consider them friends. Outside of training, they didn't spend very much time together. Charmander gravitated more towards Growlithe and Haunter, while Wartortle was a bit of a recluse.

Nevertheless, they were good for each other, especially in regard to satisfying each other's appetite for drudgery…

"Now, dive deep into your willpower, Wartortle!" bellowed Ash. "Visualize that you are enshrouded in an impenetrable barrier! Nothing can hurt you! Nothing can so much as touch you! You are completely protected! You don't need your shell! Your strength of mind itself is sturdy enough to protect you!"

Hearing his trainer's words, Wartortle stood his ground, staring down the draconically infused fireball with concentrated eyes.

Ash watched, half expecting Wartortle to withdraw at the last moment. A small smile formed on his face when he witnessed the turtle pokemon widen his stance and clench his fists in preparation to endure whatever managed to pierce his incarnate bravery.

No matter the outcome, at least Wartortle was beginning to understand. Protect was not a technique for the indecisive.

It required commitment, which was what Wartortle was trying his best to characterize. He needed to go for broke in order to be rewarded with a new skill. The unfeeling water-type needed to give himself up to his own ironclad grit, so that he could shield even a fraction of his body.

Judging by his decisive shift in stance, he was willing to do that.

Ash's eyes widened when a minute glimmer of blue light appeared in the blink of an eye. The abrupt coruscation flickered for a second as it collided with Charmander's draconic Ember.

The dark-haired boy could immediately tell that its scope wasn't wide enough to nullify the entirety of the attack, which was expected. This was Wartortle's first time actually exteriorizing a barrier. Ash figured it would take a lot of practice before his friend could create a shield big enough to protect his entire body.

The partial Protect managed to penetrate right through the center of Charmander's incomplete Dragon Rage, causing the flame to collapse around it like a wave crashing against a mountainside.

Unfortunately for Wartortle, he was hit by the portion of the flame that the barrier was unable to obstruct. The turtle pokemon groaned as both of his arms and legs were smacked by the scorching flame.

Even though Ash knew that it wouldn't cause any significant damage, he still cringed when Wartortle cried out in pain. Just because he liked to battle didn't mean he didn't care if his friends got hurt. They were his family after all.

As the purple tinted flame and fragmented Protect faded, Ash approached his friend with a small smile on his face. "Well, at least you managed to make a barrier. Good job, Wartortle."

Although he didn't look anywhere close to satisfied, Wartortle grunted, acknowledging Ash's praise. Even when he mastered a technique, the turtle pokemon wasn't the type to ever be appeased. Therefore, Ash wasn't surprised in the least by his friend's lackluster reaction.

"How are your arms and legs?" questioned Ash as he quickly surveyed his water-type's condition.

Once again, Wartortle responded with a monotonous grunt. He was fine. He didn't look like he had any burns, and water-types were protected against fire by their natural element. The draconic energy that was interlaced in the flame probably made it sting a little more than normal, however, Wartortle didn't need a potion or anything like that. After a short amount of time inside of his pokeball, he would be as good as new.

The ten-year-old boy reached for Wartortle's pokeball, which was attached to its usual spot on Ash's trainer belt. "Why don't you take a little rest? We'll work on it some more in a little b—"

Ash ceased his sentence when Wartortle abruptly turned around, showing him eyes full of determination.

"Or…" drawled Ash, amused, "we could keep going."

Wartortle nodded his head before pivoting his glance over to Charmander.

"What do you say, Charmander!?" yelled Ash from across the clearing. "Can you give him another one!?"

Charmander gave Wartortle a smug look before letting out a confident snort, signifying that he was more than ready.

Ash couldn't help but laugh. He'd let them have a little bit more fun before he cut them off.

XXX

"_Hmm…" _murmured Ash as he held his hand up to his chin in thought, "I think it's ready. What about you?"

Haunter floated around his trainer in celebration, letting out his signature, ghoulish guffaw.

"I'll take that as a yes," muttered Ash in between laughter.

"What the hell was that!?" howled the other trainer as he returned his fallen doduo.

The boy was about the same age as Ash. He had long, brown hair and a thin face. Going off of the two-on-two battle that they had just had, he wasn't very good.

The first pokemon he sent out was a butterfree. Despite its type-advantage, it didn't stand a chance against Ivysaur. The poor bug-type tried to intoxicate the grass-type with several status techniques, but it wasn't able to connect. Regardless of his bulky build, once Ivysaur activated Chlorophyll, he was just too fast to be hit with a slow, powder based technique.

Ivysaur eventually trapped the butterfree with Vine Whip before finishing it off with a vicious Razor Leaf.

In regard to Razor Leaf, the grass-type's accuracy against moving targets wasn't quite good enough for Ash to consider the technique complete, but as long as the target was still, Ivysaur could use it in combat. Thus, the Vine Whip/Razor Leaf combination would be essential until Ivysaur mastered Razor Leaf.

The second pokemon that his opponent sent out was a rather mediocre doduo. Ash hadn't faced too many members of the species, so his sample size for comparison was pretty small. Nevertheless, he knew enough to be able to tell that it wasn't anything special.

Haunter made quick work of it, hitting it with an onslaught of Sucker Punches before finishing it off with his newest technique: Payback, which was the move that their opponent was currently gawking over…

"Payback," retorted Ash with a satisfied grin on his face. "This is the first time we've used it in a battle."

"P-payback…" stuttered the trainer. "I've never heard of it."

Ash wasn't surprised; Payback wasn't a very common move. Only three species in all of Kanto could naturally learn it, and two of those species were incredibly rare.

The most obvious of those species was the gastly line, which could learn Payback easily because of their sinister nature and skill with the mystic elements. Outside of Kanto's exclusive ghosts, the only other Kanto native pokemon that could learn Payback were tauros and the vulpix line.

Tauros were uncommon, albeit Ash wouldn't consider them rare. You could catch one relatively easily at the Safari Zone, but outside of the Safari Zone, they could only be found at one of Kanto's many restricted reserves.

Both vulpix and its evolved form ninetails were rare and generally hard to find.

Simply put, Payback was a very rare technique. Unless a trainer had done a lot of research regarding one of the three Kanto pokemon that could learn it, chances are it wouldn't be on their radar.

"It's a dark-type technique," said Ash as he gently stroked in between one of the spikes on Haunter's back. "It works best as a counter-attack. Haunter converts the molecules around him into dark energy and uses it to strike his opponent. If his opponent uses a technique first, he can absorb the leftover residue from their attack, convert it into dark energy, and use it against them. Pretty cool, eh?"

"P-pretty cool!" stammered the kid as he began to back away from Ash. "More like devastating!"

"I wouldn't go that far," said Ash with a shrug. "Haunter's going to have to get a lot stronger before any of his moves could be considered devastating."

Images of the battle against Team Rocket collided with his psyche. The faces of Sabrina, Wallace, Kent and Ariana flashed inside of his mind. Their pokemon were devastating. Compared to them, his friends were _cute. _

_"_Whatever you say," said the kid as he clipped his doduo's pokeball back to his trainer belt and gave him a quick wave. "Anyways, thanks for the battle. I've got to go."

Ash let out a small sigh as he watched the kid runaway.

"What do we have to do to find a good challenge out here?" questioned Ash as he continued to scratch behind Haunter's spikes. "Over the past couple of days, most of the battles we've had have been like that."

The ghost-type raised his finger in the direction of the fleeing trainer and released a burst of laughter, clearly poking fun at the fleeing boy.

"Cut it out," said Ash sarcastically as he looked down at Haunter with amused eyes. "It's not nice to point and laugh."

In response to Ash's words, Haunter shifted his finger in Ash's direction before purposely raising the volume of his discordant voice.

"You're impossible," managed Ash before exploding with laughter.

He couldn't help but chuckle at his ghost-type's antics. Most of the time, he was just way too hilarious to take seriously.

Once they had finally finished laughing, Ash tried his best to clear his mind and change the subject, "Anyways, good job with Payback. You've mastered it quickly."

The ghost-type lowered his shadowy hand and bowed, portraying a serious face in the process.

Ash shook his head at his friend's strange behavior before continuing, "I'll have to do some research on the pokedex to figure out which move we should learn next, but that can wait until later."

He paused, "For now, we need to get moving. We've spent most of the day training and battling. At our current pace, it'll take forever to get to Celadon."

The ghost-type released his typical, cacophonous guffaw before abruptly diving into Ash's shadow.

"So, I take it you're not ready to go back in your pokeball," said Ash as a shiver shot down his spine.

From deep within his shadow, the apparition retorted with a quiet cackle.

Once again, Ash chuckled while shaking his head, "Very well. Let's go."

XXX

"How are you holding up?" asked Ash as he peeked down at Growlithe.

The pup looked up at him with argent eyes. Despite the fact that they had been moving for the past couple of hours, it was rather clear that Growlithe wasn't even close to being tired.

"Good," said Ash. "I'd like to cover a little more ground before we take a break…"

It had been three days since they left Saffron, and they had hardly gotten anywhere. The majority of their time on the road had been spent training. According to his xtransceiver, they had only ventured about thirteen miles, which was pretty pathetic in his opinion.

Training was imperative, but even Ash could tell that he had been a bit obsessive as of late.

There were a couple of reasons why Ash's impulse to train had been stronger than usual, although he would blame most of his overzealousness on the fact that he hadn't had very many opportunities to train in Saffron.

Of course, he did have his special training with Sabrina, but that didn't really count. Outside of his time spent establishing mental barriers with Clefairy and Haunter, he was pretty limited with what he could do.

Not only was the majority of his time dedicated to mental barrier training, but during his time with Sabrina, almost all of his other pokemon had been recovering from the battle against Team Rocket. Now that everyone was healthy, and he was free to do as he pleased, it had been almost impossible to control his heightened compulsiveness to train.

Another reason that he couldn't help but overtrain was the uninteresting scenery that occupied Route Seven.

Unlike some of the more luscious and robust routes that he had explored, Route Seven was rather mundane. Other than the encompassing, mountainous terraces that could be seen in the distance, it was flat, and the ground consisted of mostly dirt and brushwood.

The only wild pokemon that Ash had seen were pidgey, rattata and oddish, which were all common species. Granted, Ash was only thirteen miles away from Saffron, so the wild pokemon were bound to vary and increase the further he got out. However, at this point in time, he still expected to see more, especially since Sabrina had told him that wild abra were known to dwell in these parts.

Just as he had heard from Sabrina, Route Seven was flooded with trainers, which only drew his eyes away from the insipid terrain and enhanced his avidity to get stronger. After nearly every training session that he and his friends had partaken in over the past couple of days, there had been a trainer close by to test their growing skills on.

Most of the trainers weren't worth mentioning, but every once in a while he would come across a trainer that could give him a run for his money. As a matter of fact, he had even been beaten a couple of times.

Over the last two and a half days, Route Seven had trapped him in an addictive cycle of training and battling. However, today he planned on changing that.

He had already gotten his morning training session in, so he planned on dedicating the rest of the day to his trip to Celadon. Of course, it would be a contradiction to his personality to decline a battle if another trainer challenged him, but he wouldn't go out of his way to find any opponents.

Outside of Growlithe, Ash planned on giving his friends the rest of the day to recuperate in their pokeballs. Most of them were exhausted from all of the training that they had been doing, so some time in suspended animation would be a good thing.

Ash didn't even bother asking Growlithe if he wanted to go in his pokeball. They were on the road, which typically meant that the inside of Growlithe's pokeball was off-limits.

Ever since the beginning of their journey, Growlithe had preferred to be on the outside with Ash. It was where he felt most comfortable.

Obviously, there were some exceptions.

Due to his social anxiety, which hadn't really been a problem as of late, Growlithe didn't like being outside of his pokeball in heavily populated areas. There were also times when his physical exhaustion got the best of him, and he chose to stay in his pokeball to rest, leaving the job of protecting Ash to one of his teammates.

Howbeit, those times were rare, and Growlithe was almost always right alongside his best friend.

This time around, it helped that Growlithe's training had been primarily technique oriented and that he hadn't been involved in very many battles. For the most part, his friend was fresh. He had a couple of scrapes and soreness here and there, but overall he was probably the healthiest out of all of Ash's pokemon.

The puppy pokemon's training sessions had been entirely dedicated to mastering the form required to perform the move Reversal, which was still giving Growlithe trouble.

The fire-type had definitely made some progress since they had started learning the move a couple of weeks ago, but Growlithe still had a ways to go before he could use the technique in battle. Due to his quadrupedal body-type, Reversal was one of the hardest moves in the puppy pokemon's natural learnset to get a grip on.

Since it was essentially a throwing technique, it was arduous for Growlithe to carry out. He had to use his whole body. The pup wasn't a bipedal pokemon. He wasn't born with arms that made propelling something natural. Instead, what he had to do was trap his opponent with all four of his legs while simultaneously creating enough leverage to launch them into the air.

At the present moment, Growlithe was capable of locking up his target. In Ash's opinion, he had become adept when it came to wrestling his opponents into a position that they couldn't break out of.

The problem was that Growlithe was having a tough time engaging his opponents at a point where he had enough momentum, leverage and strength to complete the throw.

Ash knew how to teach it to him. The pokedex was pretty clear in its explanation of how to teach the growlithe line the right way to execute Reversal.

The approach was basically a Flame Wheel without the flame. Growlithe needed to get a running start before flipping head over into his opponent. Right before he entered the apex of the flip, he needed to latch onto the target in preparation to throw.

Depending on the target's size, the momentum that Growlithe would acquire from the leap combined with the leverage he had accumulated with the flip was supposed to allow him to complete the toss.

In addition to all of the physics involved, there was also the accumulation and distribution of fighting spirit to factor in, but he didn't plan on worrying about any of that until they had mastered the basic fundamentals of the technique.

Simply put, they had a lot of work to do before Reversal was complete. If they didn't make some solid progress quickly, Ash would consider teaching Growlithe an additional move.

He didn't typically like to overwhelm his friends by teaching them two moves at once, but he would make an exception if he felt that it would help. And right now, complimenting Growlithe's current, tedious task with something a little more fun and natural could be healthy for him.

Other than Growlithe, all of his pokemon were either putting the finishing touches on the techniques that they were learning, or they were beginning to learn moves that came natural to them.

Pidgeotto was on the brink of gaining complete command over Agility. It turned out that the glimpse of success that Ash had seen during the battle at the Magnet Train station had only been a temporary feat.

He figured that in order to protect Wartortle, Pidgeotto must have accessed Agility unconsciously with nothing but sheer willpower. Ever since the battle, though, Pidgeotto has had to once again work towards gaining control over Agility by pushing himself to the limit.

At first, Ash had been a little bit disappointed. He was hoping that after what he had seen underneath the Magnet Train station, Pidgeotto had learned how to shift into Agility at will. However, it didn't take long for him to get over it, and now he was just happy that Pidgeotto was finally on the verge of finishing it…

Out of all of his friends, Clefairy's training was probably the most difficult for him to understand. It wasn't like Minimize or Stored Power, though. Clefairy wasn't frustrated. In fact, she was having a blast.

Ash had finally decided to let Clefairy learn the move that her species was most famous for: Metronome—a rare normal-type technique that no other pokemon native to Kanto could learn.

Metronome was one of those techniques that came naturally to a species. It was like teaching a magnemite how to use Thundershock or a kadabra how to use Psychic. It didn't take very much on his end in order to guide Clefairy towards success.

Metronome's outlandish finger wagging procedure was simple for Clefairy to get the hang of, and the mystic energy she needed to conjure the attack came to her innately. All he had to do was show her an example on his pokedex, and she had mastered it.

It wasn't teaching Clefairy Metronome that had him confused. Ash was confused because he had no idea how to use it effectively in battle.

If Ash had to explain Metronome in one word, it would be random_. _The signature technique of the cleffa line was absolutely unpredictable. There was no way to properly explain how it worked, and there was no telling what it would do.

Metronome used a strange, abstruse energy that somehow had the ability to summon the essence needed to perform any technique. The user didn't know what technique they were summoning. As a matter of fact, Ash didn't even know if Metronome knew what move it was summoning.

The whole process operated on chance.

Ash wasn't necessarily opposed to a technique that was unpredictable. He was sure that it would come in handy at some point. However, other than using it as a wildcard, he couldn't really see Metronome having much of a future in his battle strategies.

The only time he could see Clefairy using it in battle would be as a last resort. When all other chips were on the table, and she was backed into a corner, she could call upon Metronome in hope of a miracle.

Maybe she would get lucky and invoke a Hyper Beam. That would be convenient.

Anyways, now that Clefairy had mastered the form needed to perform Metronome, he didn't see the point in them practicing it for too much longer. He would allow Clefairy to have a little more fun with it. She had earned that much. But at some point during the next couple of days, they would move on.

Ash already knew what move he was going to teach her next. He had done some research the moment that he realized Metronome would be easy for Clefairy to learn and decided that he would teach her Cosmic Power: a defensive technique that once again required her internal thaumaturgic energy.

He still had to look deeper into some of the details, but he understood the general gist of the technique. It was essentially an energy cloak, made out of a thin-layer of thaumaturgic energy, that enveloped the user's body and served as a buffer against contending attacks.

Even though Clefairy really needed some more hard-hitting offensive moves, he figured that it wouldn't take her very long to learn Cosmic Power, and it had a chance to multiply her defense by a considerable amount, especially if she learned how to use it in combination with Minimize…

In addition to Clefairy, another pokemon that Ash was beginning to look into a new move for was Ivysaur.

His grass-type still hadn't gained full control over Razor Leaf, but he was getting close. Over the past couple of days, Ash had used Ivysaur a lot against other traveling trainers. With every battle, he was getting more and more accurate. Pretty soon, he wouldn't need to rely on Vine Whip to immobilize his targets prior to using Razor Leaf.

It was just a matter of time before Ivysaur would be able to hit mobile targets with ease. They were almost to the point where Ash could rely solely on live battles for Ivysaur to improve his Razor Leaf. Once that was the case, he would feel comfortable teaching Ivysaur a new technique.

Out of all of the available moves in Ivysaur's learnset, the technique that Ash was leaning towards teaching him next was Sweet Scent, which is a status move that destabilizes an opponent's cerebrum and cerebellum in a way that slows down their overall evasiveness and reaction time.

Ash had been tempted to teach Ivysaur Sweet Scent for quite sometime now, but he knew that the best thing to do in the long run would be to wait until Ivysaur gained better control over his quick-hitting Razor Leaf.

Sweet Scent was one of the primary ways that a bulbasaur trainer could accommodate for the species' general lack of speed, especially if the specimen they trained up ever evolved into its hulking final form: venusaur.

If Ash were to have taught Ivysaur Sweet Scent too soon, it could have become a crutch. Despite its usefulness, the reason he had waited until now to consider learning it was because he wanted Ivysaur to be able to comfortably battle without it, especially since his Ivysaur had been blessed with the ability Chlorophyll.

Not only did waiting to learn Sweet Scent give Ivysaur some time to naturally adapt to faster opponents, it also set him up to benefit even more than most grass-types would from the aromatic technique.

Ash was hoping for a slow motion effect. He figured that if Ivysaur could fend off agile opponents without Sweet Scent, when he actually used It, their movements would appear sluggish and conspicuous...

Speaking of conspicuous, it was very clear that Charmander was on the brink of evolution. Not only was his friend's skin darkening and his flame growing, but his claws were elongating, and the long, horn-like protrusion that charmeleon were known to have was beginning to emerge from the back of his head.

In Ash's opinion, Charmander was only a couple of battles away from evolving. Without a doubt, he would be a charmeleon by the time they reached Celadon. Hopefully, the evolution happened in the next couple of days. That way, Ash would have plenty of time to let his fire lizard get used to his new form before his gym battle against Erika.

On top of the fact that Charmander would be evolving soon, he was also excruciatingly close to producing a full-fledged Dragon Rage. He was finally at the point where the draconic energy inside of him was starting to reject his internal flame, which meant that pretty soon it would be strong enough to stand on its own.

Ash couldn't wait. Once Charmander's draconic energy was strong enough, he could finally separate it from his flame. Thus, his fire lizard would be able to spit out Dragon Rage as easily as his natural flame…

Another Pokemon that was getting close to attaining a new skill was Wartortle. The turtle pokemon had only been working on Protect for a couple of days, but ever since Ash had gotten it through his head that he needed to stop relying on his shell, the water-type had made a lot of progress.

Wartortle was now capable of enshrouding almost half of his body within Protect's energy barrier, which was quite an improvement over the fraction of his body that he managed to protect the very first time he manifested a semblance of the defensive technique.

If Ash were to guess, he would say that Wartortle was anywhere from a week to two weeks away from truly mastering Protect, although pretty soon it would be far enough along to where he could reflexively use it in battle…

Out of all of his friends, the one that had impressed him the most over the past couple of days was Haunter.

From the moment he faced off against him back in Lavender Town, Ash knew Haunter was strong, but now that he was traveling on his own again – without any distractions – and had the opportunity to see his friend go up against a multitude of traveling trainers' pokemon, he was finally starting to recognize just how _special_ Haunter was.

He was on another level. Outside of maybe Pidgeotto, none of his other pokemon were even close to touching Haunter in terms of what he could accomplish in battle.

Ash had partaken in more battles than he could count since leaving Saffron, and all of his friends had participated. Out of the whole group, the only pokemon that had yet to take a loss was Haunter.

First and foremost, he was a matchup nightmare. His rare typing in and of itself took care of the majority of an average trainer's pokemon. Not too many people knew enough about ghost-types to understand what their weaknesses were, and even if they did, it usually didn't matter.

Ghosts were really only weak against other ghosts and dark-types.

The gastly line were the only ghost-types native to Kanto, and they were practically impossible to track down without an expensive silph scope or a rare growlithe that knew Odor Sleuth.

In regard to dark-types, Kanto didn't really have any. Eevee had the potential to evolve into an umbreon, which was a dark-type. But, eevee were rare enough in their own right and chances were extremely low that someone – other than a dark-type specialist – had the patience to train an eevee into an umbreon.

In addition to the fact that Haunter didn't have very many weaknesses, he was also flat out immune to normal and fighting-type moves, which were two common types in the Kanto region.

Thus, when you factored in all of the advantages that Haunter congenitally had with his exceptional battle instincts and his ability to adapt and learn at an incredible rate, it was pretty evident that Haunter would be difficult for any trainer to defeat.

Ash couldn't even fathom how strong he would be once he evolved into a gengar. He was formidable enough as a haunter, picturing him as a fully evolved gengar was just downright terrifying.

Thank God he was on his side.

Anyways, in terms of Haunter's present training regiment, he didn't really have one. At least not at the moment. He was in what Ash liked to call a transitional period.

The ghost-type had just finished ironing out Payback yesterday, and he was waiting patiently while Ash did research on the next move he planned on teaching him: Shadow Ball.

Despite Haunter's natural inclination towards ghost-type moves, Shadow Ball was a tricky technique to get a grip on. Ash wanted to make sure that he knew everything there was to know about it before he initiated the training.

In the meantime, Haunter could sharpen up on his current skills and focus on the continuation of his mental barrier training.

Also, at some point during their trip to Celadon, Ash wanted to address Haunter's _other _personality. He couldn't let it linger untamed for too much longer. Haunter was getting way too powerful. If Ash didn't do something about it soon and the unexpected occurred, there could be dire consequences.

He would rather not have something like that happ—

"Hey, kid, that Growlithe looks strong. How about a battle!?"

Ash's train of thought was suddenly shattered by a loud, grating, female voice.

"Dammit…" cursed Ash under his breath as he looked down at Growlithe, "we're never going to get to Celadon, are we?"

Growlithe looked up at him with amused eyes. It was pretty obvious that the pup was loving this.

XXX

"Do you know what this means!?" exclaimed Ash as he ran his fingers through Pidgeotto's plumage.

Ash, Growlithe and Pidgeotto were resting in the middle of a barren field after hours of being on the road when Ash noticed a sparkling, golden feather amidst Pidgeotto's red plumage.

Pidgeotto let out a confused squawk, unable to see the golden feather that sat atop his head.

"Oh, right," Ash laughed. "You can't see it."

The avian tilted his head to the side, clearly trying to make sense of what his trainer was talking about.

"Your first golden feather came in," said Ash, clarifying what he had gotten so excited over. "It's awesome."

Pidgeotto's typically fierce eyes brightened up the second Ash said the word golden. It was apparent that he knew the significance of the newly emerged growth.

"Yup," said Ash with a smile, responding to Pidgeotto's body language, "you'll be evolving pretty soon, probably sometime in the next month."

Pidgeotto let out a proud squawk and flapped his wings with vigor. Evolution was something that he had been yearning for since long before Ash had met him. It was his dream. There was nothing he wanted more than to soar throughout the heavens in the form of a glorious pidgeot.

"Alright, alright, settle down," managed Ash, laughing as he watched a couple of wild rattata scurry out of a shrub with their tails in between their legs. "You're scaring the locals."

Pidgeotto reluctantly obeyed his trainer's words, shackling his wings and ceasing his rowdy jubilation.

Ash couldn't help but snicker. If Pidgeotto was this excited after sprouting a single feather, he couldn't wait to see his reaction when he actually evolved.

"Why don't you fly off your excitement," said Ash as he backed away from his avian and pointed up at the sky. "You can celebrate however you want up there."

Without a hint of hesitation, Pidgeotto thrusted his wings towards the ground before taking off like a breakneck jet. He let out a rambunctious cry as he elevated high into the sky and nearly tapered out of sight.

"Someone's happy," said Ash as he dropped his gaze from the sky and focused his eyes on his lounging pup.

Growlithe let out a confirmatory yip. Ash could tell that his starter was just as pleasantly occupied as he was. It was rare that they got to see Pidgeotto in such a gleeful state.

XXX

"Are you okay?" asked Ash as he watched Ivysaur mindlessly gaze into the fire.

Without diverting his eyes from the warm campfire, his grass-type nodded.

Despite his affirmative response, Ash didn't know whether to believe him or not. The way that Ivysaur was staring at the fire worried him. It looked as if he was on the cusp of remembering something, something buried deep within his subconscious.

"Are you sure?" questioned Ash with a contemplative countenance. "Is there something on your mind?"

This time, Ivysaur took his red eyes off of the fire and pivoted his attention over to Ash. The ten-year-old boy watched as his friend's eyes went from vacant to muddled. It was apparent that he was beginning to snap back to reality.

Other than confusion, Ash didn't see any emotion behind Ivysaur's befuddled expression. He didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. A part of him hoped that Ivysaur's suppressed, embryonic memories would never resurface, but life wasn't that easy. He would remember. It was just a matter of time.

He figured that if the memories were going to surface, now was as good a time as ever. He was in the middle of nowhere, and he hadn't seen another trainer since midday.

Ash didn't know exactly how Ivysaur felt about the matter, but he would rather handle situations like this in private. He never liked to deal with emotions while people were watching. It made him feel uncomfortable.

Be that as it may, Ash knew that the memories were going to penetrate Ivysaur's active consciousness at their own pace. It was selfish for him to think otherwise.

"Is the fire bothering you?" asked Ash as he watched Ivysaur take a few steps away from it.

He wasn't close to the flame to begin with. He was a grass-type; fire wasn't his favorite thing. Nevertheless, it didn't usually trigger this kind of behavior from him. Regardless of weakness, fire was warmth, and winter was just around the corner. Even if Ivysaur's bud didn't appreciate the fire, the part of him that was reptilian did.

For him to behave this way could only mean one thing. The fire was stimulating fear.

Ash placed his hand over Wartortle's pokeball in preparation to release him. If he needed to put the fire out, no one could do it faster than his water-type.

"Do you want me to have Wartortle put it out?" asked Ash with a bit of urgency in his voice.

Ivysaur responded by shaking his head and laying down. He gave Ash a look that portrayed that he was fine before planting his eyes back on the sizzling, controlled fire.

Ash took a deep breath and relaxed his hand. It seemed the situation was under control.

Without standing up, he then proceeded to scoot over by Ivysaur's side. Even though Ivysaur had no idea what was going on, Ash could tell that he needed him right now. His grass-type was hurting without the memories to know why.

Ash didn't know exactly what was going on inside of Ivysaur's head, but he knew that his friend wasn't acting like his normal, auspicious self.

"You know I'm always here for you, right?" said Ash in a soft voice, trying to comfort his friend.

Ivysaur let out a soft murmur, acknowledging Ash's words.

A small smile formed on Ash's face as he gently stroked the soft pedals on Ivysaur's bud.

"You might not understand everything that I'm about to say," spoke Ash, "but I need you to listen…"

Ivysaur curiously raised his head from the ground. He was still in a slight daze, but Ash could tell that he was coherent enough to process his words.

"If the time ever comes when you need to let down your guard," said Ash, "you can do that in front of me. Not only am I your trainer, but I'm your friend. You're a brave pokemon with a strong heart, but I know that there is more to you than that. We all have strengths, and we all have weaknesses. We all have happy memories as well as sad ones."

He paused, "It's okay to be broken. We all are. Just remember that you have a family that cares for you, and keep your head up."

Ivysaur lifted his head from the ground and placed it in his trainer's lap. He let out another quiet murmur as he rested in the comfort of his trainer's affection.

"I love you, buddy," said Ash as he scratched behind Ivysaur's ears, "and that will never change."

XXX

It was moments like this that melted Ash's heart.

He watched with a smile as Growlithe and Charmander gleefully ran around the brushwood, interacting and playing with a quartet of wild vulpix kits.

Ash wasn't quite sure where they came from. Charmander and Growlithe had been practicing their Ember together when the four little fox-like creatures appeared out of nowhere.

At first, Ash was a bit taken back. Vulpix were rare. They tended to be shy and didn't like to show themselves around humans. It was difficult enough to find one, seeing four in one place was unheard of.

The second that they fumbled into the clearing, Ash's instincts as a trainer skyrocketed, and he was tempted to catch one. However, he decided against it.

Judging by the way that they interacted together, chances were pretty high that the four kits were from the same litter. Vulpix weren't pack oriented pokemon, so it wasn't normal to see them act so fondly toward each other. The only time that this kind of behavior occurred was when the species was in its first year of life.

After about a year, vulpix were forced to fend for themselves. Their mother no longer took care of them, and they had to find their own way, typically severing all ties with their siblings.

It sounded cruel, but that was just their way of life. Vulpix and its evolved form ninetails weren't nurturing pokemon. They were clever and dignified, albeit they tended to be self-centered and cold towards other pokemon, especially members of their own species.

However, although the species wasn't nurturing by nature that didn't mean that they completely neglected their duties as a parent. Maternal vulpix and ninetails tended to stick around for the first year of their kits' lives in order to teach them the basic fundamentals of survival and protect them from powerful predators.

It wasn't your typical mother and child relationship. Just because the mother stuck around didn't mean that they were always glued to their young. Unlike the relationship between a mother arcanine and her pups, the vulpix line gave their kits a lot of freedom.

They were allowed to go off on their own for long periods of time, giving them an opportunity to explore and prepare themselves for the day that their mother left them to fend for themselves.

Of course, throughout the first year of a vulpix's life, its mother was never too far away. Due to the vulpix line's unearthly intuition, a mature specimen was capable of keeping track of its kits' well-being from a distance.

Simply put, if the younglings got themselves into a dire situation, the mother would know and could respond accordingly, which was one of the reasons that Ash was reluctant to try and catch one.

The last thing that he wanted to do was get on a fully grown ninetails' bad side. Wild ninetails were typically ruthless and vengeful, known for leaving curses on humans that wronged them in any way.

Ash didn't want to mess with that. It wasn't worth it.

He already had two young fire-types. There was no need for another. Maybe one day, but not now. He didn't plan on taking on another fire-type until Growlithe and Charmander were fully evolved and mature.

Anyways, it didn't make Ash any less excited to see them just because he didn't plan on catching one. Granted, he would be lying if he said that he wouldn't rather have ran into a conflux of abra, but that was just wishful thinking.

Seeing the vulpix litter was a breath of fresh air. Ever since leaving Saffron, the only wild pokemon Ash had seen were members of the rattata, pidgey and oddish lines. Prior to this moment, he was starting to get the impression that he would never find anything worth mentioning.

For the first time in four days, his hopes were up. Maybe there was more to Route Seven than he had originally thought…

"Growlithe, Charmander!" bellowed Ash in attempt to grab their attention.

He watched as both of his fire-types immediately ceased their interaction with the vulpix kits and shifted their attention towards him.

At the same time, the four kits stopped in their tracks and looked his way with curious eyes, visibly acknowledging his presence for the first time since making themselves known.

"Could you please introduce me to your friends?" asked Ash as he attempted to come off as friendly as possible.

In response to Ash's words, both Charmander and Growlithe gave him a brief nod before diverting their attention back towards the vulpix kits.

Speaking in both of their native tongues, Ash's two fire-types proceeded to communicate with them. Every once in a while, throughout the conversation, they would glance over at Ash. During those moments, he just smiled. He wanted to make sure that he looked as amicable as he hoped his friends were currently describing him to be.

After about a minute of pokemon chatter, Growlithe and Charmander led the four vulpix over to Ash. As the litter approached him, Ash's memory instantly went back to the first time that he had met Growlithe. The kits' innocent dispositions reminded him of his friend at the beginning of their journey.

He wasn't sure, but if Ash were to guess, he would say that the four vulpix kits were about the same age that Growlithe was the first time he met him back at Professor Oak's lab.

"Hi, guys," said Ash, softly, as he crouched down to their level. "I'm Ash, Charmander and Growlithe's trainer, nice to meet you."

The kits awkwardly looked around at each other, contemplating how to respond, before one of them stepped forward. It was the biggest of the litter, likely the strongest of the group.

With its chest up and its snout out, it leaned forward in order to explore Ash's scent. This went on for a couple of seconds until the largest of the vulpix kits turned around and used its head to beckon its siblings over to its side.

In subsequence to their sibling's gestures, the other three vulpix stepped forward. Mirroring their sibling, they moved forward with their chests up and their snouts out. It was rather obvious that they were trying to appear dignified.

At this point in time, Ash took a moment to admire how elegant and comely the kits were.

They truly were beautiful pokemon. Their glossy, red-brown pelts were gorgeous, and their brown, pupil-less eyes held an air of genteel mystique. Ash also thought that their large pointed ears were cute and that the curls at the ends of their six orange tails made them appear more sophisticated than if their tails happened to be straight.

He had to admit, they were definitely some of the most adorable pokemon he had ever met. If he had to choose, though, he would still say that Growlithe was cuter at their age. Then again, it was possible that he was just being biased.

"Don't worry," said Ash as he slowly reached out his hand in the general direction of the four vulpix, "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

In response to Ash's movement, two of the vulpix took a step back with a twinge of fear in their eyes, whereas the leader and another slightly smaller specimen pressed their snouts up against Ash's palm in order to further investigate his scent.

Ash held his breath and tried his best not to make any sudden movements. He didn't want to do anything that might scare them off. He had a special opportunity to make friends with four rare Pokemon. He didn't want to mess it up.

A smile stretched across his face when he felt a wet, tickling sensation on the tips of his fingers. It was the smaller of the two. Apparently, it had deemed Ash safe because it was licking him affectionately while looking up at him with cordial eyes.

"That tickles," said Ash in between laughter. "You're a sweet one, aren't you?"

The smaller vulpix, which Ash guessed was a female, let out a soft, jovial squeal as Ash used his other hand to pet the top of her head.

The leader of the group took Ash's interaction with his sibling as a green light and joined her display of affection, rubbing his head up against Ash's arm.

It didn't take long before the other two kits let down their guards, and joined their braver siblings. Ash couldn't help but giggle as they overwhelmed him with their sudden amorous actions.

"You guys are way too kind," said Ash to the kits as he spotted Growlithe and Charmander poking fun at him in the background.

He let them continue to convey their affection for a little bit longer before slowly standing up from his crouched over position.

"So, do the four of you live around here?" asked Ash as he wiped all of the saliva off of his arms and face.

The leader of the group nodded his head before gesturing to his right. Ash figured he was telling him that they lived somewhere north of their current whereabouts, probably in the dense underbrush over by the rocky terraces.

"What brought you guys over here?" questioned Ash with curious eyes.

This time the slender female was the one to react to Ash's words. She pointed her snout towards Growlithe and Charmander while emitting a yap.

"Growlithe and Charmander, eh?" asked Ash.

He wasn't surprised. The vulpix line's enhanced intuition could probably sense his fire-types' presence from a significant distance, especially since they were members of the same type classification.

The only fire-types that lived in this part of the region were the growlithe and vulpix lines, and they were scarce. Depending on how adept the vulpix kits' intuitions were, Growlithe and Charmander probably stuck out like sore thumbs, especially amidst a part of Route Seven that mostly consisted of common species.

The leader let out an affirmative grunt, reacting to Ash's question.

"I see…" drawled Ash, "so you just wanted to meet them?"

One of the two less assertive vulpix nodded its head before prancing over to Growlithe and Charmander. It then dropped the front of its body to the ground and outstretched its anterior legs while raising its rear in the air, inviting Ash's two fire-types to play.

"Of course," said Ash with a giant grin. "You guys were just looking for some new friends to play with. Am I right?"

The leader proceeded to let out an affable yip while using one of his front paws to nudge Ash.

"Why not," said Ash with a shrug, taking the vulpix kit's touch as an invitation to join them. "We've already finished up our training for today. There's no harm in having a little bit of fun before we hit the road."

All four of the vulpix kits pranced around with glee, obviously happy with Ash's decision to entertain them.

"What do you say, guys?" asked Ash in the direction of Charmander and Growlithe, who were in the middle of showing off their Embers to the two more passive vulpix kits. "Do you want to stick around for a little bit? I don't mind."

Both of his friends glowingly nodded their heads, reminding Ash that they were still striplings themselves.

Even though this wasn't how he expected to spend his afternoon, Ash had to admit, he was enjoying himself.

More importantly, his friends needed this. They had been working extremely hard since they had been on the road. It was good that they got a chance to socialize and play with pokemon that weren't a part of the team.

Just like how it had become important to him that he made new friends on his journey, he wished the same for his pokemon. Experiencing different pokemon and their unique personalities was a good way for his friends to grow. Strength wasn't everything. Sure, it was important, but moments like this were too.

His friends deserved the opportunity to experience some of the other joys that life had to offer, especially since Ash had them working everyday to realize their full potential as battlers.

Besides, at the end of the day, what kind of person would he be if he denied the four vulpix kits a play session?

In his opinion…not a very good one.

XXX

Once again, the time of the month had come when Clefairy needed to refuel her lunar energy.

The moon was nearly full, so it was a good time for her to replenish her supply. Typically, Ash liked to wait until the actual full moon for Clefairy to restore her lunar essence – it was more potent that way – but this time, they didn't have much of a choice.

She had used a lot of lunar energy in her battle against Sabrina and if she didn't do something about it soon, she would hit empty.

"Does the moon's energy feel different when it's a full moon?" asked Ash as he eyed Clefairy's blue, glowing wings.

His lone female pokemon nodded her head as she gazed up at the sky with admiration in her eyes.

"Figured as much," said Ash with a bit of disappointment in his voice. "Next time, I'll make sure that you make it until the full moon. I want you at your strongest."

In response to her trainer's words, Clefairy shifted her attention away from the moon and focused her eyes on Ash. She flashed Ash an expression that portrayed gratitude before standing up and moving from her position across the campfire over to his side.

Clefairy didn't usually show Ash too much affection. It wasn't because she didn't want to, but rather due to the fact that she didn't want to come off as soft to her other male counterparts.

At least, that's what Ash thought. Whenever it was just the two of them, Clefairy was one of his most amorous pokemon. If any of the others were on the outside, she was much more distant, which is one of the reasons that Ash liked to keep everyone else in their pokeballs when it was time for Clefairy to replenish her lunar energy.

He tried to treat nights like this as their bonding time. Just like the rest of his pokemon, every once in a while, Clefairy needed one-on-one time with him, and Ash tried his best to satisfy that need for all of his pokemon.

"Are you happy that we've gotten to spend more time together now that we're on the road?" asked Ash with a smile as he softly patted Clefairy on top of her head.

His fairy-type let out a rare squeal as her whole facial expression lit up with apparent joy.

"Good," said Ash, smiling from cheek to cheek, "I think all of us like being on the road more than being in a city."

Clefairy nodded, agreeing with her trainer.

"Especially after everything that happened in Saffron…" continued Ash with an exasperated sigh.

Clefairy frowned, reacting to her trainer's sudden change in disposition. Saffron had been hard on all of them, but Ash definitely got the worst of it.

He had taken part in everything, from the battle underneath the Magnet Train station to the arrest of Ariana. In addition, there was all of the overwhelming information regarding the rogue abomination and the Prophecy of the Chosen One.

Simply put, his time in Saffron hadn't been easy, so this time away from civilization was nice. He didn't even care that Route Seven was bland. As long as he was sleeping under the stars and spending night and day with his pokemon, he was happy.

Of course, he still looked forward to the day that they arrived in Celadon, but he didn't mind that they were still more than a week away from their destination. He would savor this time on the road. And when the day finally came for him to take on whatever challenges awaited him in Celadon, he would be ready…

Ash's rumination was interrupted when he noticed Clefairy's somber expression. She was looking up at him with worry in her eyes, likely trying to understand what was going on inside of his head.

"What's with that look?" asked Ash with a smirk as he nudged Clefairy playfully with his elbow. "I'm fine. Just thinking…that's all."

Clefairy gave him a gentle push back, causing him to chuckle, before looking up at Ash with curious eyes. Ash knew that look. She was trying to get him to elaborate.

Out of all of his pokemon, Ash talked to Clefairy and Growlithe the most about his problems. They were good listeners, and Ash found their non-verbal cues and gestures easiest to understand.

"Oh, alright…" drawled Ash, giving into Clefairy's inquiring mind, "I was thinking about everything that happened in Saffron. We saw a lot of messed up things and have a lot on our plate. It's hard to process all of it. Between Team Rocket, their hostile creation, and the prophecy, I don't even know what to worry about anymore."

He paused, "It's like my life is a movie. I can't help but ask, why me? Why is all of this happening to me?"

He pulled on his hair in frustration as he dug his heels into the earth's gravelly surface.

"It's not fair..." groaned Ash. "My dream is to be a pokemon master, I never asked to be a hero. It's too mu—"

Ash was cut-off mid-sentence when he felt Clefairy's tiny hand grasp his pant leg. He pivoted his discontented eyes towards her.

Her countenance depicted comfort and stringency at the same time. She was giving him a look that eerily reminded him of the kind of facial expression his mother would make when he was being a brat.

"_Gahh_…don't look at me like that," griped Ash as he diverted his eyes away from Clefairy. "You're reminding me of my mom."

In subsequence to Ash's childish behavior, Clefairy let out a sigh of obvious annoyance. She was just doing her job. A while back, Ash had asked her to point out when he, along with the rest of her male teammates, were acting childish.

He knew his thoughts were foolish and entitled. Who was he to question destiny? Just because he didn't want to be the Chosen One didn't change anything. Destiny wasn't something you could run away from or simply wish away. It didn't respect his desires. It wouldn't honor his dreams.

If he truly was the Chosen One, which he wouldn't be sure of until Bill sent him a copy of the prophecy, he was better off accepting it sooner rather than later. Maybe then, he could get a better grasp over the road that it was taking him down instead of being dragged around like a mindless magikarp…

Once again, he felt Clefairy's hand grasp his pant leg. When he looked back down at her, she was still wearing the same stern look that she had given him earlier. Apparently, the comparison to his mother wasn't enough to convince her to alter her countenance.

"I know, I know…" muttered Ash as he tried his best to suppress any desire he had to retort imprudently, "I'm being selfish."

Clefairy nodded her head and let out a small murmur, agreeing with her trainer's self-criticism.

"Blunt as always," said Ash, followed by a quiet chuckle. "Well, at least you keep me honest with myself. It's always good to have someone like that around."

Clefairy looked at him in a confused manner. It was evident that she didn't understand the meaning behind Ash's words.

"Don't worry about it," said Ash with a small smile. "Just know that I'm grateful to have you as a friend. The team would be lost without you."

Ash couldn't help but laugh when he saw Clefairy's cheeks turn red, which tended to happen whenever he praised her.

In subsequence to Ash's laughter, Clefairy gave Ash a jab on the shoulder. It wasn't hard enough to hurt him, but she put enough force behind it to let him know that she didn't appreciate the fact that he was laughing at her.

"Jeez," chided Ash as he jokingly rubbed the spot that Clefairy had hit, "I know I shouldn't have laughed, but you didn't need to hit me."

Clefairy crossed her arms and huffed, clearly not apologetic for her punch. Simultaneously, his fairy-type's wings ceased glowing, indicating that her lunar energy had been replenished.

"Well, it looks like you're done," said Ash as he pointed at Clefairy's two tiny, pink wings.

Clefairy let out a jovial squeal and stood up from her spot next to Ash. He could tell by her disposition that she felt a lot better.

"I'm happy we got to spend this time together," said Ash with a smile as he reached for Growlithe's pokeball, "but I better let Growlithe out before he gets upset."

To his surprise, she shook her head before placing her hand in the way of Growlithe's pokeball.

"What is it?" asked Ash in a confused manner. "Is something wrong?"

The fairy pokemon proceeded to hold out one finger, beckoning him to wait a moment while she once again sat next to Ash and cuddled up into his side. Ash smiled. He immediately understood what it was that she was trying to convey.

"Okay, okay, just a little bit longer…" murmured Ash, eyes sparkling as he stared up at the stars, "we can stay like this for a little bit longer."

XXX

"_Ring…"_

"_Ring…"_

"Pidgeotto, keep trying to access Agility in order to dodge those Embers!" blustered Ash as he heard the familiar sound of someone calling him on his xtransceiver. "Charmander, Growlithe, keep firing! Don't let up!"

As he stepped away from the chaotic training session to check who was calling him, he couldn't help but smile when he saw the name that popped up on the screen.

It read: Gary Oak.

He had been meaning to call his best friend ever since Professor Oak had given him his number a while back. However, he had yet to get around to it.

Be that as it may, now that he was looking at Gary's name light up on the screen, he couldn't help but overflow with excitement.

"_Ring…"_

_"Ring…"_

"Keep working hard, guys!" bellowed Ash in the direction of his three preoccupied pokemon, "Gary's calling! I've got to pick this up!"

His pokemon disembogued an assortment of affirmative grunts as he clicked the receive button.

"_Click."_

"Hey, Gary, what's u—"

"What the hell!?" blasted the familiar voice of his childhood friend, causing Ash to pull away from his echoing xtransceiver. "I just got off the phone with Gramps! He told me you've had my number for a couple of weeks! Why haven't you friggin' called me!?"

"Dammit…" groaned Ash as he hesitantly brought his wrist back up to his face. "You could at least wait until after you say hi before you start complaining. You almost burst my eardrum."

"_Psht, _you could go deaf for all I care," snorted Gary, toning down the volume. "What kind of person ignores their best friend for so long? _Sheesh_, you're such an asshole."

"Gee, thanks," said Ash as he rolled his eyes. "Are you done yet? Before I picked up the phone, I was actually looking forward to talking to you. Now…not so much."

"Oh, shut up," huffed Gary. "You know that you're happy to hear from me. How long's it been since our battle in Viridian? Two…maybe three months?"

"About two and a half," retorted Ash as a smile crept across his face.

His best friend had always had a short fuse, but at the same time he tended to simmer down quickly. He could be infuriated one second and the next be as chipper as a newborn seel. It was nice to see that a couple of months on the road hadn't warped Gary too much. Hopefully, by the end of their conversation, Gary would be thinking the same thing about him.

"That sounds about right," said Gary. "So, where the hell are you now, Ashy-boy?"

Ash could clearly picture the arrogant smirk on his best friend's face as he spat out the nickname that he had detested for as long as he could remember.

"Route Seven," answered Ash.

He took a second to clear his throat before continuing, "About a four day walk from Saffron. What about you?"

"Err...I'm just outside of Vermillion," replied Gary. "I've been on the road for weeks. Cerulean to Vermillion is a hell of a trip. I'm friggin' exhausted."

"You can say that again," said Ash as he recalled his own trip from Cerulean to Vermilion.

"You've done it already?" queried Gary with a hint of surprise in his voice. "Wait a second…how many badges do you have?"

"Three," said Ash while shaking his head in amusement.

He could tell where this conversation was going.

"Three?" questioned Gary. "That doesn't make any sense. Last time I saw you, you were headed to Pewter. From Pewter, you would have had to pass through Mt. Moon to get to Cerulean. If you've already made the trip from Cerulean to Vermillion, you've definitely battled Misty and Surge. Coming from that direction, it wouldn't make sense that you would have gone to Celadon before Saffron, so I'm guessing that you've already been to Saffron and are now on your way to Celadon. You should have at least four badges, unless…"

He paused, "You lost to Sabrina, didn't you!?"

Ash couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Gary's deductive reasoning skills really were too acute for his own good. However, although the scenario he had just come up with was a solid hypothesis, things had unfolded a little bit differently.

"Good guess," retorted Ash, "but you're wrong. I have the Cascade, Thunder and Marsh badges. Even though I went to Pewter, I ended up skipping the gym. At the time, I didn't really have anything to face Brock's rock-types."

"_Ahh_…okay, that makes sense," said Gary. "I was wondering how you were going to take on Brock with just Growlithe. Smart move, although I probably still would have given it a shot. Who knows, maybe you would have gotten lucky?"

"Eh, I'd rather get my badges with skill," said Ash. "Besides, it worked out better this way. I pulled out a win against Sabrina's League registered team. Now, I don't have to worry about going up against her without the help of a handicap."

"Oh, come on, how tough could she really be?" snorted Gary in a sarcastic tone.

"Dude…" drawled Ash.

"Damn…that bad, eh?" stammered Gary.

"You don't even know the half of it."

"…Shit."

There was a moment of silence as Ash gave Gary a moment to dread his upcoming future.

"_Psht, _I can't worry about that right now," said Gary, trying to make himself feel better. "I've got a battle against Surge to prepare for. One at a time, Ashy-boy, one at a time. Sabrina can wait until later."

"Whatever helps you sleep better at night," replied Ash with a chuckle. "Anyways, given the fact that you were just freaking out about your battle against Sabrina, I'm guessing that Surge will be your third gym battle."

"Yeah," said Gary with a hint of pride in his voice, "I've got both Brock and Misty's badges. I spent about a week training in Viridian after you left, so I'm not surprised that you've got one more badge than me. I wouldn't expect anything less from my number one rival and best friend."

Gary paused, "By the way, Misty told me to tell you that she says hi and that she's looking forward to your rematch. Including myself, the only three trainers that have beaten her League registered team this season have come from Pallet, so she's pretty fired up about this rematch that you promised her."

"I figured as much," retorted Ash, "She's a hot-headed girl to begin with. I'm not surprised to hear that she is anticipating our rematch so much."

"She's good," said Gary. "When you have this rematch, don't expect it to be anything like your first battle. I've heard her real team is devastating.

"I know, I know," answered Ash, slightly annoyed that Gary was trying to give him advice.

All of a sudden, something that Gary had just said stood out to him. He didn't know why, but it had made him curious. "Hold on a second. Did you just say that three trainers from Pallet beat Misty?"

"Yeah…" drawled Gary. "That's what Misty said at least."

"I knew there was another trainer from Pallet that would be getting a pokemon the same day as us, but I figured that they wouldn't be all that special. Nobody else in school was even close to touching our scores on the Qualification Exam. I'm surprised that this_ other _trainer was skilled enough to beat Misty."

"Even though the _other_ trainer got their first pokemon in Pallet, they took the Qualification Exam in Johto," said Gary matter-of-factly. "Their score wouldn't have been listed with ours."

"Really?" asked Ash. "How do you know?"

"I just do…" said Gary. "I kind of know her."

"Her?" asked Ash curiously. "What's her name?"

"It doesn't matter," retorted Gary in a suspicious tone. "Besides, you can just ask her yourself. I'm sure you will run into her at some point."

"Ah, come on…" groaned Ash, "why can't you just tell me?"

"Because..." muttered Gary, "just saying her name puts a bad taste in my mouth. We don't exactly get along."

Despite the fact that he was interested in finding out the name of the girl that started her journey in Pallet – on the same day that he and Gary did – he didn't plan on pushing Gary to talk about something he didn't want to.

He knew what it was like to have things that you would rather not talk about. Granted, most of the things that he would rather not vocalize had to do with near death experiences, a certain evil organization, a rogue experiment and an ancient prophecy.

Nevertheless, he had learned enough during the last couple of months to understand that people were entitled to their own privacy. There were other ways to find out the name of the _other _trainer. He didn't need to pester Gary about it.

"Suit yourself," retorted Ash. "Anyways, I've got to ask, do you have a plan for Surge? He isn't easy to beat; I say that from experience."

"Yeah…" drawled Gary. "I've heard the stories. I know he's a tough gym leader, but I should be fine. I've got a couple of pokemon that should match up well against his raichu, and his voltorb won't be a problem."

"…And those are?" asked Ash, although he already knew what Gary's answer would be.

"Like I'd tell you!" blustered Gary. "I plan on winning the next battle we have, so there is no way in hell I'm going to give you the advantage of knowing what pokemon I have. You'll just have to wait and see!"

"Jeez, Gary..." chided Ash, "everything's a secret with you. First you wouldn't tell me the name of the _other _trainer, now you won't share with me what pokemon you have, aren't best friends supposed to tell each other everything?"

"_Psht, _says the guy that's had his best friend's number for two weeks and hasn't called him," angled Gary. "Ashy-boy, you don't have any leverage to lecture me."

Ash fell quiet. He had to admit, Gary did have a point.

"Unfortunately, I can't argue with you there," said Ash with a sigh.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pidgeotto get clipped by one of his fire-type's Embers before he transitioned into Agility in order to escape another fiery barrage. Ash would have to wrap up his conversation with Gary soon. He needed get back to his pokemon. From the look of things, he'd say that Pidgeotto was making some good progress with Agility…

"That's what I thought," said Gary arrogantly. "Anyhow, just because I don't plan on sharing what kind of pokemon I've caught since the last time we saw each other doesn't mean we can't talk about our starters. It's not like they're a secret."

He paused, "How's Growlithe doing?"

"He's great," answered Ash in a cheerful tone.

There were few things in the world that he enjoyed talking about more than his starter. So, even though he would have liked to know what kind of team Gary had put together over the past couple of months, he could settle for a conversation regarding Growlithe and Gary's squirtle.

"We've still got a lot of work to do," crowed Ash, "but he's getting stronger, and he's already become an amazing leader."

"Yeah, I can see that," said Gary. "I could also tell from the battle that we had that he has impressive battle instincts. He'll make a great arcanine."

"Thanks," said Ash as he took his focus off of his xtransceiver for a second to watch Growlithe in action.

His friend unleashed another assemblage of blazing hot flames, attempting to knock down Pidgeotto. Even though the training session was primarily meant to sharpen Pidgeotto's ability to use Agility, Growlithe and Charmander were getting a lot out of it. As of late, the majority of their accuracy training had come from helping Pidgeotto with Agility.

"You're not planning on evolving him anytime soon, are you?" asked Gary.

His voice was full of curiosity. For some reason, Ash could sense that Gary was more attached to his question than he should have been. He couldn't put his finger on it, but his best friend sounded suspicious. Maybe he had another secret.

"No…" replied Ash, "don't get me wrong, he has gotten a lot stronger, but that doesn't mean he's ready to evolve. He still has loads to learn."

"That's smart," said Gary. "The growlithe line, for the most part, can only learn moves in their primary stage. There is one exception: Extreme Speed. Other than that, arcanine are unable to learn any techniques naturally."

"Exactly," answered Ash with a smirk.

Gary's knowledge of pokemon never ceased to amaze him. He definitely took after his grandfather in that regard.

"…Which is the reason why I have no intention to evolve him any time soon."

He paused, "Anyways, what about that squirtle of yours. How's he doing?"

"He's awesome!" exclaimed Gary, "he evolved a couple of weeks ago, so he's gotten a hell of a lot stronger. We're dealing with some coordination issues at the moment, but I can't see those hindering him for too much longer."

He took a second to breathe before continuing, "Outside of battle, he's a really good pokemon. We have an unbreakable bond. There's no other pokemon I'd rather have at my side in a pinch. He's the true definition of a starter."

Just listening to Gary gloat about his wartortle was getting Ash fired up. Next time they saw each other, they would have to see whose turtle pokemon was the strongest.

Of course, Gary had no idea that Ash had his own member of the squirtle line. Even before he left on his journey, the ten-year-old boy had requested that Professor Oak refrained from disclosing any information about his team, so even Gary couldn't use his advantage of having Professor Oak as his grandfather to get an edge over him.

"Good, I'm glad he's doing well," said Ash as he visualized an epic battle between two powerful blastoise. "I can't wait to battle him aga—"

Ash's sentence was cut-off when he noticed a flash of pure purple fire shoot through the sky, narrowly missing Pidgeotto, who managed to dodge at the last second with another perfectly executed Agility.

"Hey, Gary, I'm sorry, but I've got to go," said Ash into his xtransceiver.

As much as he was enjoying his conversation with his childhood friend, he needed to get back to his friends. During his brief amount of time away from them, Pidgeotto's Agility appeared to have significantly improved, and Charmander had let out what looked like his first legitimate Dragon Rage.

"What's going on over there?" asked Gary, likely confused by Ash's sudden shift in behavior.

"My pokemon and I were in the middle of a training session when you called," said Ash excitedly. "I just stepped away, but it's time I got back to them. I'll give you a call later."

"Whatever you say, Ashy-boy," snorted Gary with a hint of amusement in his tone. "I'll let you go. Wish me luck against Surge."

"Good luck!" blurted Ash – distracted – as he watched Pidgeotto phase into Agility, yet again, in order to maneuver around one of Growlithe's Ember barrages.

"_Psht, _thanks!" snorted Gary sarcastically. "Smell ya later, Ashy-boy!"

"Bye, Gary," said Ash, sidetracked as the call ended.

Now that his conversation with Gary was over, he sprinted back over to his friends' chaotic training session.

There were scorch marks all over the clearing, and a multitude of shrubs and small plants had been entirely uprooted, probably ripped out by either Pidgeotto's Gust or Whirlwind.

He made a small mental note to have Ivysaur and Wartortle clean up the area a little bit before they left. With Ivysaur's expertise in regard to plant-life and Wartortle's internal water reservoir, they could have this place looking as good as new in a heartbeat.

Despite the fact that his avian was only supposed to be using Agility in order to dodge, there were times when his temper got the best of him, and he lashed out with an attack of his own. Typically, Ash didn't hesitate to cut a training session short because of this type of disobedient behavior, but this time the situation was a bit different.

His friends, for the most part, had been unsupervised. Ash didn't give Pidgeotto very much slack when it came to his thirst for savagery, but if he turned his back for too long things like this were bound to happen. This one was on him. Just this once, he would turn a blind eye.

Besides, right now, he was way too overjoyed to care about such minute details. From what he could tell, while he was on the phone with Gary, Pidgeotto and Charmander may have completed the techniques that they had been working on.

Pidgeotto had been freely shifting in and out of Agility, whereas Charmander spat out what looked like a full-fledged Dragon Rage.

"That's enough, guys!" bellowed Ash.

Growlithe, Charmander and Pidgeotto stopped dead in their tracks, unwilling to combat their trainer's decision to end the training session. It was time that they took a break. They had worked hard, exhausting themselves in order to enhance their skills. Needless to say, they deserved a breather.

"I saw enough to know that you guys must be exhausted," said Ash.

All three of his friends simply nodded their heads, panting as they listened to what their trainer had to say.

"Growlithe, Charmander, thanks for your help," said Ash, addressing his fire-types. "Your efforts have helped Pidgeotto master Agility. He couldn't have done it without you."

Both Growlithe and Charmander gave Ash a look that oozed pride. It was apparent that they felt honored by his praise.

Pidgeotto, on the other hand, gave his trainer a miffed look in response to what he had just said.

Pidgeotto wasn't one that liked to admit that he needed his teammates help to accomplish anything. It had been difficult enough for the avian to admit to himself that he needed Ash, it would likely take a _very _long time before the giant flying-type would be able to do the same thing in regard to his teammates.

"Ah, come on," said Ash with a small, amused smile. "Don't give me that look. Even you have to admit that they were a big help."

Pidgeotto diverted his eyes in the opposite direction of Ash and let out an uninterested squawk, which was his way of saying, _not a chance. _Ash just rolled his eyes and sighed. His flying-type definitely knew how to be stubborn when he wanted to.

"Don't listen to him, guys," said Ash with a smirk. "He's just being a big baby."

He paused for dramatic effect, hoping that his insult would get to Pidgeotto.

"Anyways, not only am I proud of you for _helping _Pidgeotto, but I also think that you two have gotten more out of this than I had originally hoped."

"Growlithe, your accuracy has improved a lot," said Ash.

He turned his attention to Charmander, "And, Charmander, I'm almost one-hundred percent positive that you've completed Dragon Rage. We'll make sure later, but that last one you fired looked pure. What do you think?"

Charmander lifted his head and stuck out his chest with confidence. He then proceeded to let out an affirmative grunt, telling Ash that he had successfully separated his draconic energy from his internal flame.

"That's what I thought!" exclaimed Ash before giving his attention to the entirety of the group. "_Gah_, I'm so proud of you guys! What do you say we celebrate with some lunch!?"

They let out a loud cheer in response to Ash's words, which didn't come as a surprise. All three of them had just pushed themselves pretty hard. They were bound to be hungry.

XXX

"Damn," cursed Ash under his breath as he carefully reached for Haunter's great ball, "there sure is a lot of them."

He could hear Growlithe snarling beside him. Under their current circumstances, he couldn't afford to take his eyes off of what was in front of him, but he could clearly picture the fierce, intimidating disposition that Growlithe was portraying in response to their current threat.

"Don't make any sudden movements," said Ash quietly to Growlithe. "I'm counting about fifteen. None of them look that strong, but they could definitely overwhelm you with numbers. I'm going to let out Haunter. Once I do, hit 'em with whatever you'd like."

Growlithe let out a soft grunt, signifying that he understood the situation.

"Alright then," said Ash as he brought his hand closer to Haunter's great ball, "on the count of three…"

He took a deep breath as he surveyed his surroundings. There were six vexed mankey out in front of him. Their eyes were fastened on Growlithe, and he could tell that they were prepared to leap into action at a moment's notice.

"One..."

Over to his right were four more mankey. All four of them were in a four-point stance, and their red eyes were fastened on him. They emitted a ferocious snorting sound while vigorously flaring their nostrils.

Ash had to admit, he was slightly intimidated. However, this was nothing compared to what he had been through in Saffron. Compared to what he had endured over the past month, this was only a mere inconvenience.

"Two…"

To his left were five lounging mankey. Ash figured they were under the assumption that the rest of their comrades could handle him. They simply sat in the dirt cross-legged while letting out a rambunctious howl aimed toward the other ten mankey.

The howl reminded him of a gladiatorial chant. It was as if they were encouraging the other mankey to rip him to shreds.

Ash smirked. He would have to have Haunter shut them up.

"Three!"

As fast as his body would allow him to, Ash unclipped Haunter's great ball and released him. Throughout the duration of the release, Growlithe dashed in front of him, providing his best friend with cover until the apparition had sprung into action.

In subsequence to the flash from Haunter's great ball, all fifteen of the mankey cried out in annoyance. It was apparent that they didn't appreciate the sudden outburst of bright light.

When the intense light faded, there was nothing.

At least...that's what the mankey believed. Ash watched with an amused facial expression as the troop of mankey looked around the brushwood in a confused manner.

It was clear they were expecting the emergence of a pokemon. Just because they were wild didn't mean that they weren't aware of pokeballs and what they were used for.

Despite their barbaric thirst for combat, mankey were intelligent pokemon, and these mankey were occupying a route that was frequently used by pokemon trainers. They at least partially knew what they were getting themselves into, albeit Ash doubted that they were expecting a trainer with a pokemon of Haunter's caliber.

This would be interesting—

All of a sudden, Ash's instincts drew his line of sight to the right. One of the mankey had blasted out of its stance with its eyes set on Ash and Growlithe. It didn't convey a hint of restraint. It had entered the rage bent state that mankey and its evolved form primeape were known for.

Ash wasn't sure what finally caused one of them to snap, but it was inevitable. Pretty soon, the rest would follow suit. When one mankey rampages, the rest of its colony can't help but join it. The species took the term pack oriented to the extreme. The longer they lived together, the more each specimen synchronized to each other's behaviors and emotions.

Simply put, depending on how tightly knit together this troop of mankey was, the others would be lashing out soon. They couldn't help it; it was in their DNA.

A small smile formed on Ash's face as the impending mankey quickly closed the distance between them. Although it was completely unexpected, he couldn't have asked for a better situation. What a perfect way for Haunter to work on his self-control.

"Haunter, knock it out!" howled Ash.

The moment Ash finished his sentence, an ill-tempered Haunter emerged from the ground beneath the mankey with a fist full of black energy.

Caught completely off guard, the mankey didn't have a chance to react as it was hit in the gut by a vicious Sucker Punch. Ash watched as its eyes turned white, signifying that it had instantly phased into comatose.

All of the encompassing mankey grew quiet as their comrade fell face first into the ground. It was apparent that they had been overcome with shock, otherwise they would have already retaliated with nothing on their minds but vengeance.

Ash watched as Haunter levitated over the unconscious mankey's body with an expression that portrayed contemplation. Haunter was way too complex of a creature for Ash to be sure of what he was thinking about, but judging by the circumstances, he would guess that Haunter was on the verge of doing something that he would regret.

"No killing!" bellowed Ash. "I know it's hard for you to control yourself when I'm in danger, but this is an opportunity for you to decide what kind of ghost you want to be! Do not give into your _other_ personality!"

In response to Ash's words of encouragement, Haunter shook himself free of the red eyed one's grasp. This time, he wouldn't allow himself to be controlled. He would defeat the group of mankey with a sober mind, void of intrusive thoughts of murder. He would protect his master without placing fear in his heart.

Haunter lifted his eyes from the defeated mankey before drifting back towards Ash. To Ash's surprise, he used one of his shadowy fingers to taunt the troop of mankey, wagging it at them while sticking out his tongue.

Ash couldn't help but laugh. The fact that Haunter's sense of humor was still intact meant that, for the time being, he had successfully warded off his alter-ego.

Now, Ash wasn't stupid enough to think that he had seen the last of Haunter's red eyed personality. However, this was still a monumental moment. It meant that it was possible for them to treat Haunter's tendency to lose track of his morals when Ash was in a dire situation…

Ash's thoughts were suddenly broken when one of the mankey positioned in front of him let out an ear-shattering howl that forced him to cover his ears. Shortly after, the rest of the mankey erupted with violent cries.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that they were infuriated. Not only had one of their kin been defeated, but its victor had purposely provoked them afterward. In the eyes of a prideful species like mankey, actions such as Haunter's were unforgivable.

Even the group of mankey that had previously been sitting down were now on their feet and prepared to exact retribution. At this point, Ash could tell that their rage wouldn't be extinguished until either Ash and his pokemon were defeated, or the mankey themselves were sent into unconsciousness.

Unfortunately for them, they didn't stand a chance against him. They may hold the edge in terms of quantity, but just by looking at them, Ash could tell that even the strongest specimens weren't on the same level as any of his pokemon.

Take into account the massive advantage that Haunter had because of his typing, and his ghost-type was bound to have a field day. Wild mankey of this level had no way to counter against a ghost-type. The majority of their techniques were classified as either normal or fighting-type moves, which were completely useless against ghosts.

A high-level mankey could naturally learn assurance, which could be problematic for a ghost-type, but the chances that any of these mankey knew a dark-type technique like that were low. Mankey didn't learn assurance until they were close to evolving, and there wasn't a single mankey within the entire troop that was showing even a single sign of evolution.

As a mankey neared evolution, its tail would shrink, and it would begin to develop a stress mark on the left side of its forehead. Their arms and legs were supposed to begin to lose their shaggy fur, revealing their brown skin, and their pupils tended to become beadier.

Not a single member in the entire group had begun to undergo any of these changes. Therefore, it wasn't difficult for Ash to estimate their rather dull skill level. Haunter by himself would be enough. With Growlithe fighting alongside him, the barrel of mankeys' defeat was eminent.

Be that as it may, the forthcoming battle had still piqued his interest. Experience was experience, and his pokemon didn't get very many opportunities to fight while outnumbered. At the very least, they could brush up on some of their fundamentals…

Ash's thoughts were put on hold when the remaining three mankey positioned to his right jetted out of their stances. Their eyes were as red as the top half of a pokeball, appearing to be blind to anything other than the rage that drove them to attack.

Ash watched as Growlithe opted to make his first move. He dug his posterior paws into the ground and pushed off, erupting out of his stance at a speed that made the mankey look like a triad of slowpoke.

He then accessed his internal flame as he flipped his body head over, bursting forth into what was a perfectly executed Flame Wheel. In a fraction of a second, he severed the distance between himself and the mankey before targeting the specimen in the middle of the three mankey formation.

On account of its mindless rage the mankey in the middle took Growlithe's attack head on. From Ash's vantage point, it appeared as if the mankey tried to counter Growlithe's Flame Wheel with a Karate Chop right before they collided, but it was to no avail.

The mankey was barreled over without giving Growlithe so much as a sliver of resistance. In Flame Wheel's wake, the unimpressive specimen was left charred and sprawled out on its back, clearly unconscious.

In subsequence to the collision, Growlithe immediately ceased his Flame Wheel before flipping into his natural stance. He then prepared to take on the other two mankey, who had registered their comrade's defeat and adjusted their way of attack.

No longer were they blindly stampeding towards Ash's position, but rather they had settled in close proximity to Growlithe. The two enraged mankey circled the pup. The ten-year-old boy could tell by their precarious movements that they were looking for an opening.

At this point, it appeared that Growlithe had them preoccupied. Therefore, Ash pivoted his eyes over to Haunter, who was levitating in front of him in order to provide protection. The apparition's line of sight was focused on the five mankey to his left.

The five on the left had begun to converge towards Ash's position. This group of mankey advanced at a much more methodical pace, creeping forwards with a look of pure resentment delineated across their faces.

Despite their state of animosity, they were intelligent enough to read the flow of the battle. On account of the fact that two of their kin had been defeated, due to charging recklessly, they had altered their strategy of attack.

While they slowly closed out the distance between them, Ash figured that they were trying to come up with a way to defeat Haunter. After all, they couldn't get to Ash unless they took out the ghost-type. No matter how hard they tried, the difference in strength would prove to be too much, and their type disadvantage was too steep of a detriment to overcome.

This would be over in a flash.

"Haunter, end this quickly," said Ash as he pointed toward the group of five mankey. "Use Hypnosis on those ones over there."

Following his trainer's orders, Haunter lifted his ghoulish hands and wriggled his fingers, diffusing a portentous, violet energy. It crawled throughout the sky, expanding to a width that exceeded the overall breadth of the group of five mankey.

Three of the five mankey were caught in the clutches of Hypnosis. Due to their lack of urgency, Ash had a feeling that the ones that got caught didn't know what Hypnosis was, and thus didn't see the strange purple energy as a threat. Once they were hit, they became limp, falling to the ground in a state of deep slumber.

The two mankey that managed to avoid Haunter's Hypnosis seemed to recognize it immediately, using their extraordinary reflexes to jump out of the way. They then proceeded to veer out in opposite directions, attempting to flank Haunter on both sides.

Simultaneously, Ash felt a presence moving toward him from straight ahead. He rotated his line of sight to find the group of six mankey barreling toward him with malicious intent. He reflexively reached for Pidgeotto's pokeball, but he relaxed his hand when a barrage of flames, belonging to Growlithe, collided with the group of mankey and knocked them off of their path.

Ash looked over to his right to find Growlithe sprinting toward the group of six mankey, bearing a frightening countenance. The two mankey that he had previously been up against lay battered and unconscious. Both of them had been defeated by means of fire; Ash could tell because of the distinct scorch marks that were plastered across their bodies.

Showing no mercy for the pokemon that had tried to hurt Ash, Growlithe lunged forward towards the closest mankey before sinking his maw into its side. He then discharged a close-ranged Ember, triggering the final part of his Bite/Ember combination.

"Nice, Growlithe!" exclaimed Ash, cheering for his best friend.

In wake of the Bite/Ember combo, Growlithe leapt over the body of the unconscious mankey he had just defeated before emitting another Ember in order to hit one of the other mankey.

In the midst of Growlithe's Ember assault, he was bombarded by a different mankey, who had managed to flank Growlithe and strike from one of his blind spots. It howled with anger as it attempted to wrestle Growlithe to the ground with one arm while using the other to inflict damage with Scratch.

Ash's brow furrowed as he tried to think of a way to get Growlithe out of his current predicament. "Break free with Fla—"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a burst of ominous, dark purple energy shoot across the dell. Of course, it belonged to Haunter, who from the looks of it had finished up with the remaining two mankey that had been positioned on Ash's left, leaving him free to help Growlithe with the final group of aggressive primates.

The dark purple energy, which Ash immediately recognized as Night Shade, hit the backside of the mankey that was attacking Growlithe. The mankey cried out in pain as it was knocked off of Growlithe's back and sent tumbling across the dirt.

The second that Growlithe had broken free from the mankey's grasp, he dashed out of the middle of the skirmish in order to get back to his trainer's side. Ash could tell that Growlithe was tired, but overall he was still in great shape. He had a few scrapes here and there, caused by the mankey's repeated use of Scratch, but it hadn't done any damage that a standard potion wouldn't take care of.

Not too long after Growlithe returned to his side, Haunter did as well, levitating back over to his left. Once his ghost-type had settled back in next to him, Ash looked out at the remaining mankey.

There were four left.

Three of them were in good shape. Their fur was slightly blackened because of Growlithe's Ember, but it didn't look like they had taken any noteworthy damage.

The other one was barely hanging onto consciousness. It whimpered as it crouched down on one knee. The rage that had previously occupied its eyes was no longer there, instead they were filled with pain.

Ash couldn't help but feel sorry for it. He even thought about catching it for a moment, but he knew that wasn't a good idea.

Sure, it would be nice to have a fighting-type, but he had never had any interest in training a member of the mankey line. They were a staunch species, but he would much rather train one of the other fighting-types native to Kanto; a specimen belonging to either the tyrogue or machop lines sounded way more appealing to him.

As the three healthy mankey violently shrieked in the direction of Ash and his friends, desiring nothing but revenge for their defeated comrades, Ash pointed in the direction of the weakened mankey.

"Haunter, use Hypnosis on that one," ordered Ash, mercy evident in his intonation. "It can no longer fight."

Following his trainer's command, Haunter waved his fingers at the injured mankey, emitting a bright purple wave of psychic based energy. Ash watched as the mankey painfully flinched. It looked like it was trying to get out of the way of Haunter's Hypnosis but didn't have the energy to move.

Upon impact, the weakened mankey promptly fell asleep. As it plopped forward and landed on its face, it drew the attention of its fellow troop members, who were practically exploding with acrimony.

Ash shook his head. Despite their anger towards the fact that Haunter had sent another one of their own into comatose, it's not like they had tried to protect it. They were too busy wailing out cries of contempt to do anything that would actually help their comrade.

Ash was actually disappointed. It was obvious that these mankey were far from maturation. They acted like haughty children, and their bark was clearly bigger than their bite.

"Finish them off!" commanded Ash to both Growlithe and Haunter. "We're done here!"

As soon as Ash finished his sentence, both Haunter and Growlithe advanced forward. Haunter jetted toward the three leftover mankey with both of his fists enveloped in crepuscular energy, whereas Growlithe loaded his maw with fire in preparation for what Ash assumed would be a Bite/Ember combo.

The three mankey dashed forward with vigor.

Two of the mankey had their fists up, ready to perform what looked like either Fury Swipes or Scratch. The other mankey had its dominant arm firm and slanted, which told Ash that it would be attacking with a Karate Chop.

Without a hint of hesitation, Haunter and Growlithe continued their advancement. They would end this battle here and now; there wasn't a doubt in Ash's mind.

Growlithe was the first to strike. Once he was in range, he leapt through the air, maneuvering around a Karate Chop. Ash clenched his fist with triumph when Growlithe managed to bypass the mankey's flailing extremities before burying his flaming jaw into his opponent. The mankey yowled out in pain as it was burned all the way into a coma.

Even though it happened at almost the exact same time, Ash was able to witness Haunter permeate through two mankeys' Fury Swipes before knocking both into somnolence with a wicked double Sucker Punch attack.

To be completely honest, using Haunter against pokemon of this level wasn't even fair. It made Ash worry more about his opponents' well-being rather than his own pokemon. From here on out, he would try his best not to use Haunter in situations like this.

When the aftermath from both techniques subsided, Ash took a look at his surroundings. Fifteen mankey lay beaten and unconscious. Moreover, there were scorch marks all over the dirt, and several shrubs had been burnt to a crisp. Yet again, Ash would have to have Ivysaur and Wartortle clean and nourish the land. It was the right thing to do after a battle such as this one.

"Growlithe, Haunter, back to me!" called Ash as he focused his attention back on his friends.

Ash watched as Haunter and Growlithe took their eyes off of their fallen opponents and returned to Ash's side.

His pup had a look of tiredness on his face. Despite the fact that he hadn't really been challenged by any of the mankey, he had still exhausted a lot of energy. Battling that many pokemon at once tended to have that kind of effect, albeit it was nothing compared to the weariness that consumed Growlithe after the battle against Team Rocket and their horde of debased pokemon.

"Good job," said Ash while flashing Growlithe a playful smirk, "although you do look tired. Did those mankey give you a good workout?"

The puppy pokemon let out a quiet grunt as he cozied up next to his trainer. Ash could sense the indifference in Growlithe's intonation. Essentially, he was saying that it wasn't a good battle, but it wasn't a bad one either. If it weren't for the intense training session that Ash had put Growlithe through just moments before the mankey attacked, he would have been fine.

"That's what I thought," said Ash as he let out a deep sigh. "They weren't very strong."

He paused, "When they showed up, I was hoping that at least one of them would give us a challenge, but that wasn't the case."

In response to Ash's words, Haunter let out a loud, ghostly guffaw. Ash couldn't always tell what his ghost-type's outlandish outbursts meant, but in this situation, Ash figured that he was agreeing with him.

"Anyways…" drawled Ash, altering the direction of the conversation. "I'm proud of you, Haunter. You did a great job of fighting off your _other_ self. Even though those mankey were weak, they still threatened me. The fact that you were able to keep calm was a step in the right direction. Next time, we'll have to suppress your other personality against some higher level threats."

He took a breath before smiling at the apparition, "Only then will we be able to find out just how far you have come."

Haunter's grin stretched from one side of his shadowy mug to the other as he soaked in Ash's words.

"Okay, guys," said Ash, grabbing both Growlithe and Haunter's attention. "Before we start moving again, I think we should check to see if any of these mankey have significant injuries. I doubt that they do, but I'd rather not have them scraping at my conscience."

He paused as he guiltily glanced at a bundle of burnt shrubs, "I also want to have Wartortle and Ivysaur clean up a bit. We made a mess."

Growlithe and Haunter nodded, respecting their trainer's wishes.

"Let's hurry up and get this over with," said Ash as he reached for Ivysaur and Wartortle's pokeballs. "I want to hit the road as soon as possible."

XXX

"Hey, Wartortle," said Ash, catching his water-type's attention after a long, grueling training session, "I have a question."

His turtle pokemon pivoted his gaze away from Growlithe – who he had been having a conversation with – and centered it on Ash.

It was just Ash, Growlithe and Wartortle. They had been working on Wartortle's Protect in a clearing, about halfway between Saffron and Celadon, when a thought permeated Ash's mind.

At first, he tried to discard it. It had to do with Wartortle's past, and he had told himself back when he had first gotten through to his water-type – just outside of Vermillion – that he wouldn't push him to open up. However, this time around, his curiosity got the best of him. He couldn't help himself. There was something he had to know.

Ash shot Growlithe a look that signified that he wanted him to stay out of the upcoming conversation before continuing.

"I know this is kind of random…" murmured Ash, "but do you still think about your old trainer?"

In response to Ash's question, Wartortle gave him a quizzical look. His face remained expressionless, but his eyes told a different story. Now, although Wartortle's typical countenance was glacial and void of emotion, there had been times when he would unknowingly reveal his feelings through his eyes.

This was one of those moments.

Wartortle's eyes were like a changeable kaleidoscope, flashing Ash different colors depending on his turtle pokemon's feelings.

The first emotion that he involuntarily showed Ash was confusion. The ten-year-old boy had never asked Wartortle a question like this before, so Ash could understand why it would come as somewhat of a surprise.

The second emotion that Ash saw was anger. He wasn't sure if this was directed towards him for asking such a question or his former trainer. Maybe it was a combination of both, who knows? Ash only saw it for a second, so he didn't have an opportunity to even start to try and decipher the root behind Wartortle's quick burst of animosity.

Next, he caught a glimpse of sadness, which was pretty straight forward. For a moment, Ash could see the deep hurt that Wartortle's former trainer had inflicted on him. It was abyssal, having infiltrated every part of Wartortle's mind and soul. He was who he was because of this pain, there was no way around it and no point in denying it.

After witnessing sadness, Ash observed an emotion that could only be described as hope. It wasn't happiness. At this point in time, Ash didn't even know if Wartortle was capable of feeling _true_ happiness.

Rather, Ash witnessed what looked like a ray of aspiration within Wartortle. It was the kind of emotion that Ash imagined a terminally ill person would experience if they were told that technological advancements were on the verge of finding a cure for their sickness.

Last of all, Ash saw ambition. Out of all of the emotions that flashed within Wartortle's eyes, this one shined the brightest. It was his dominant mental state. With the help of the hope Ash had given him, ambition had consumed everything else. It had swallowed sadness and anger and turned them into a driving force that fueled his newfound desire to get stronger.

Simply put, Wartortle was changing. Ash could see it in his eyes. If he had asked Wartortle this question a couple of weeks ago, it would have triggered a different response. Now, Wartortle's mind could handle it. He could at least begin to look at his past in retrospect without shutting down completely…

With a hint of hesitation, Wartortle gave Ash a slight nod, signifying that he did think about his old trainer from time to time.

"I see..." drawled Ash with a look of seriousness on his face. "I suppose he will always have an influence on you."

Wartortle let out a small grunt of affirmation, reluctantly agreeing with Ash. No matter how much hatred Wartortle had for his former trainer and the memories he had left him with, there was no way of changing what happened. He had been abandoned by the same person that had introduced him to the concepts of love and happiness. He had been betrayed by the one that at one point in time he would have been willing to give up his life for.

There was no way to pay no mind to something like that. No matter how much Wartortle wished he could sever all things having to do with the boy that carved away at his essence, his first trainer would always be a part of him. It was sickening, but it was reality…

"Well, if that's the case," said Ash as a small smile breached the serious look on his face, "I have another question for you."

Wartortle kept his eyes planted on his trainer. Ash could tell he had piqued his water-type's curiosity. Despite the fact that his friend was oftentimes hard to read, Ash could always tell when Wartortle was interested in something. If he wasn't intrigued by the question, he wouldn't have acknowledged it.

"After all of the pain that your former trainer has caused you," stammered Ash with a bit of insecurity evident in his tone, "do you think I can make up for it?"

For the second time in a matter of minutes, Wartortle looked at him with confused eyes.

Ash took a moment to come up with a better way to convey what he was trying to say before continuing, "What I'm trying to say is…do you think I can replace the bad with good? Do you think I can help you find happiness again?"

Wartortle looked at him with a blank expression. It was obvious to Ash that he didn't know how to respond. It was also likely that at this point in time, Wartortle didn't have an answer. Sure, Ash had done a lot for him since they met, but _happiness_. Happiness wasn't something that Wartortle had experienced for a long time. It was something that had become so foreign to him that he had forgotten what it even felt like.

After a couple minutes of Wartortle staring ahead with a stony face, Ash came to the realization that his question wouldn't be answered today. As a matter of fact, Ash had a feeling that he would have to accept that his question may not ever be answered the way he wanted it to be.

Wartortle may have come a long way, but he wasn't ready to talk about things like happiness. It had been difficult enough for him to acknowledge that he had emotions buried underneath his icy exterior in the first place.

"Never mind," said Ash, breaking the silence. "Forget that I asked. You don't need to be worrying about things like that."

Wartortle nodded discreetly. He seemed to be contemplating something. It was apparent that he was confused, but maybe Ash had brought up something that Wartortle could begin to work out on his own.

When Ash had first seen Wartortle's reaction to the question, he thought that he had made a mistake. However, it was possible that he hadn't, and Wartortle just needed time to process things. He hoped that was the case. Just like the rest of his pokemon, Wartortle deserved to be happy. The fact that Wartortle himself didn't even know how bad he was hurting broke Ash's heart.

Could it be possible that this would be the conversation that helped push Wartortle to recover emotionally?

Well, only time would tell…For now, he just needed to shut up and let Wartortle think.

XXX

"Awesome job, Ivysaur!" howled Ash as he returned a tired Pidgeotto, who had just gotten done helping the saurian with his training.

His grass-type had just finished up working on his Razor Leaf, and it had gone well. His velocity was nearly perfect, and his accuracy was getting better everyday.

He was finally at the point where he could use it in battle against quicker opponents without having to incapacitate them with Vine Whip, which meant that Ash felt comfortable enough with the status of Ivysaur's Razor Leaf that he thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to begin teaching him the next technique in his learnset: Sweet Scent.

"How are you feeling?" asked Ash before sharing his plan. "Are you low on energy?"

Ivysaur shook his head and let out a loud snort, indicating that he had plenty of energy left in the tank.

"Good," said Ash with a smile, "because I've got an idea. It has been on my mind all week, but you weren't ready."

The saurian looked up at his trainer with interested eyes. He was always a good listener, but Ash could tell that he was especially intrigued at the moment. More than likely, he could sense the excitement in Ash's voice.

"Now that you are on the verge of mastering Razor Leaf, and don't really need my help when it comes to ironing out your minor accuracy issues, why don't we start to learn another move?"

Without a hint of hesitation, Ivysaur nodded his head. Ash wasn't surprised; he knew that Ivysaur would like the idea. Ivysaur had been working on Razor Leaf everyday for a couple of weeks now, and it was starting to become tedious. After a while, techniques that required such a high level of intricacy could wear on a pokemon's patience. Razor Leaf was beginning to have that effect on Ivysaur, so a change of pace must have sounded like music to his ears.

"I figured you'd respond that way," retorted Ash as he folded his arms. "Have you ever heard of Sweet Scent?"

In response to Ash's question, Ivysaur nodded his head. If Ash had to guess, he would say that either Melanie or one of the grass-types living at her wild pokemon spa had told him about it. It's not like he had ever mentioned Sweet Scent to Ivysaur before, so he knew that he wasn't the one that had taught him about the valuable status technique's existence.

"Do you know what it does?" asked Ash curiously with his fingers crossed.

When it came to teaching a pokemon how to use Sweet Scent, half of the battle was trying to explain to the user what kind of effects it would have on its target. If Ivysaur already knew all of that, it would save Ash a lot of time.

Ivysaur already had all of the chemicals that he would need in order to perfect Sweet Scent. However, much like Sleep Powder and Poison Powder, he would have to figure out what chemicals he needed to mix together as well as sort out their proper measurements in order to create the correct pheromone…

To Ash's pleasure, Ivysaur once again nodded his head and let out an affirmative grunt.

"Hell yeah!" cheered Ash as a massive smile formed on his face. "If that's the case, there isn't much for me to explain. I'll let you experiment. You're going to be spending a lot of time inside of your bulb in order to master this technique, and it will probably be way more difficult to find the right chemicals than it was with both of your status powders. Just be patient with yourself, and don't be afraid to try things that might seem a little odd."

He paused to take a breath, "the pokedex has a few formulas that other trainers' grass-types have used, so I can share those with you if you want, but it says that the most potent Sweet Scents are created through trial and error. Apparently, since every individual specimen has a different DNA strand, and it is impossible for a living host to mix biological chemicals without including a part of its DNA, you can't create the exact same Sweet Scent that another grass-type has made using the same formula."

In subsequence to Ash's spiel about Sweet Scent, Ivysaur let out an enthusiastic growl. It appeared as though all of the talk about DNA, chemicals and measurements was starting to excite him.

"Last but not least, have fun," said Ash with a chuckle. "I know you love this sort of stuff, so I want you to enjoy it."

The saurian's eyes brightened, and a wide smile stretched across his face as he listened to his friend's words.

"Alrighty then!" exclaimed Ash. "Let's start!"

XXX

The puppy pokemon aggressively flipped forward into Charmander, who tried his best to fend off Growlithe with a powerful Focus Punch.

As Charmander extended his arm, Growlithe used one of his posterior paws to smack away the fire lizard's attempted strike. In concurrence to intercepting Charmander's fist, Growlithe latched onto his sparring partner with his two front paws in order to immobilize him before reaching the apex of his flip.

"Good, good, good!" exclaimed Ash with excitement evident in his voice. "Now, throw!"

Listening to his trainer's command, Growlithe held onto Charmander throughout the duration of his flip before using all four of his paws – in a addition to the momentum from the flip – to push Charmander toward the ground. Within the blink of an eye, his fire lizard hit the ground hard, letting out a nasty groan in the process.

Growlithe awkwardly landed on all fours. It wasn't perfect; they would have to work on sticking the landing as well as performing the technique against larger foes, but it was an undeniable improvement.

For the first time, Growlithe had successfully performed Reversal.

Ash's natural reaction was to clench his fist victoriously. They had finally had a breakthrough with a technique that they had been working on since before Saffron. However, he cut his celebration short as soon as he remembered that it was one of his pokemon that had been on the receiving end of such a devastatingly physical attack.

"Charmander, are you okay?!" queried Ash as he sprinted over to his lizard pokemon's side.

Growlithe quickly filed in alongside him. It was apparent that he was worried as well. Reversal was a powerful technique, and they had been sparring for quite sometime before Growlithe decided that he wanted to try it out. Needless to say, Charmander had accumulated a hefty sum of damage prior to getting slammed by Reversal, hopefully he hadn't been injured too badly…

Ash let out a massive sigh of relief when Charmander tottered back up to his feet.

His eyes were droopy and his knees were wobbling. The ten-year-old boy was still concerned, though. Charmander was on the verge of unconsciousness, and Ash didn't like to push his pokemon that far during training. However, it was a good sign that he was up. It meant that a couple of potions would have Charmander feeling as good as new.

"Whoa there, buddy, don't push yourself anymore than you already have," said Ash in a soothing tone as he leant over and picked up his friend, making sure to secure his tail flame in the process.

Charmander was getting heavy. Pretty soon, Ash wouldn't be able to pick his friend up like this anymore. The feeble charmander that Ash had found beaten and abused in the middle of nowhere would evolve into an able charmeleon.

It was a crazy concept to think about. Once Charmander evolved, all three members of his elemental trio would be in their second stages. It was an indubitable result of his growth as a trainer and blatant proof that his friends were getting stronger. He couldn't help but smile, although given their circumstances that smile quickly subsided.

Right now, it was more important for Ash to give Charmander some medical attention.

…Reminiscing could wait until his friend was all healed up.

The dark-haired boy carried Charmander back over to their campsite before setting him down on a soft patch of dirt. He made sure that there was nothing flammable within reach of his tail flame. The last thing he wanted to do was start a wildfire, especially in such a dry part of Kanto.

"Hang on, Charmander," said Ash before calling out to Haunter, who had been hiding in the shadows guarding all of Ash's belongings while he trained his fire-types.

"Haunter, bring me my backpack!" bellowed Ash as he leant over and gently rubbed the scaly skin on Charmander's head.

Growlithe lied down next to Charmander with a guilty expression on his face. Just like Ash, the pup was concerned for his friend, but Ash also could tell that Growlithe felt responsible for Charmander's current physical condition.

Charmander would be fine, and Growlithe hadn't done anything wrong. However, it was rare that his friends actually hurt one another during their training, so Ash understood why Growlithe felt bad.

"Don't worry about it, buddy," said Ash to Growlithe as he rested Charmander's head on his lap. "It's not your fault. You guys were just training. This kind of stuff happens; it's a part of battling."

Growlithe let out a small, apologetic whimper. It was clear that Ash's words weren't enough to nullify the pup's guilt.

A light smile formed across Ash's face, though, when Charmander lifted his claw from the ground and placed it on Growlithe's paw. He then let out a soft, friendly murmur that undoubtedly was meant to soothe his fellow fire-type's bad conscience.

Growlithe's eyes brightened up the moment that Charmander looked over at him. There was no animosity in Charmander's expression. In fact, he was smiling. The Reversal may have hurt, but it was a clean technique. Growlithe didn't do anything that any of his other pokemon wouldn't have done if they had been given the opportunity to make further advancements with a technique that they were working on.

At least, that's what Ash guessed was going through Charmander's mind. Charmander, more than any of his friends, knew what legitimate abuse looked like, and this definitely wasn't it. Growlithe and Charmander had been battling on an equal playing field. Sure, their mock match had gotten a little heated, but both participants had kept going under their own volition.

If Ash were to blame anybody it would be himself. He shouldn't have let Growlithe and Charmander's pride as fire-types consume what was supposed to be a simple spar. Be that as it may, what happened, happened, and no amount of blameful musing would be beneficial...

Growlithe and Charmander's sentimental moment was interrupted when Haunter levitated over to them with Ash's backpack in his shadowy grasp.

"Thanks," said Ash as he snatched his backpack from Haunter's clutches. "Stay on the look out for any curious, wild pokemon. I'm going to be distracted until I finish Charmander's treatment."

Haunter bobbed his head up and down and let out an array of laughter, indicating that he had everything under control, before submerging himself within a nearby shadow.

Even though he could endure the light that didn't mean he liked to. Outside of training and battling, very rarely did Haunter expose himself to sunlight. During the daytime, he would much rather operate from the shadows, which Ash approved of.

Despite the fact that he was out of sight, Ash trusted Haunter to stay close by. Besides, having Haunter out of sight tended to be a good thing. Few traveling trainers had the guts to approach him when Haunter was out in the open, and the amount of wild pokemon Ash saw drastically decreased.

Simply put, due to justifiable stereotypes regarding _most _ghost-types, Haunter was often wrongly judged as a blood-thirsty killing machine, which was unfortunate but unavoidable. For that reason, Ash selfishly encouraged Haunter's desire to stay out of sight when the sun was up. Things were just easier that way…

Anyways, now that Ash had his backpack, he unzipped one of its middle pockets and pulled out a handful of depository cases.

Each one of them was labeled and designated to hold a different type of item—which was something that Ash had been working on ever since he left Saffron. The one that he was looking for right now was the depository case that he had placed all of his medical related items in.

In addition to his "medical" depository case – which consisted of things like potions and status healers – his stuff was presently occupying four of the other depository cases that Robert had purchased for him back at the Silph Co. headquarters.

Ash had designated one of the cases to hold his excess capture devices.

Of course, it would be stupid for him to put all of his empty capture devices in it. He had to have some that were within reach just in case he came across a wild pokemon that he wanted to catch, albeit it was unnecessary to have immediate access to more than one of each type of capture device. Other than one pokeball, a great ball and an ultra ball – which Ash kept fastened to his trainer belt – the rest of his capture devices were stored away in one of his depository cases.

Another one of the labeled depository cases consisted of food. It didn't matter what kind. He used his "food" depository case for his pokemon's food as well as his own. He typically ate at the same time as his friends, so it was easier that way. Besides, he didn't see the point in segregating his human food versus their pokemon food.

At this point in time, he would just be inconveniently activating another depository case. It's not like he had that much stuff. As a matter of fact, he could fit all of his things into one depository case if he wanted to. The only reason that he hadn't done that was because he didn't want to get confused while sifting through the cases' retrieval system.

It was better to be somewhat organized than in complete disarray. However, too much organization was, in Ash's opinion, extraneous. As long as he knew where everything was, and his backpack no longer gave him back problems, he would be just fine.

The other two depository cases that he had activated were assigned to carry his daily necessities and miscellaneous items. The "daily necessities" depository case carried things such as his sleeping bag, tooth brush and clothes; whereas his depository case specified to hold miscellaneous items stored things like his Moon Stone and the Psychic TM that Sabrina had given him.

Needless to say, the depository cases that he had acquired back in Saffron were being put to good use. He reminded himself to thank Austin next time he talked to him. If it weren't for his goofy friend's suggestion to purchase them, his back would still be aching from hauling around all of his stuff the old-fashioned way.

As soon as Ash found his "medical" depository case, he placed the others back in his backpack before pressing the on button.

For the most part, all depository cases were the same in size and appearance. They were small, black and rectangular. On the face of the device was a touchscreen that was about the same size as the screen on his xtransceiver, and the on button – which was about the same size as his fingertip – was located on the apparatuses' side.

The only difference, appearance wise, on some depository cases opposed to others was the bold, white number that was printed on the side of each device, opposite of the on button. The number corresponded to the size of the case. If its maximum weight limit was fifty pounds, it would read: fifty pounds. Duly, if its maximum weight limit was one ton, it would read: one ton…

After turning on his "medical" depository case, the screen on its face lit up. It displayed a home screen, which was rather bland in appearance and only gave him two options: "Inventory" and "Settings".

He pressed "Inventory".

Immediately, a short list of curative items came into view. He scrolled through them as he weighed his options.

"(19) Potion"—_no, not strong enough_.

"(8) Super Potion"—_maybe_.

"(2) Hyper Potion"—_no, running low_.

"(20) Full restore"—_perfect and plenty._

After making a decision, Ash tapped on "Full Restore". Granted, Charmander's current condition didn't really warrant the use of a full restore. A super potion, or two, would have been more than adequate.

However, Ash had yet to use any of the full restores that he had won after coming in third in the SS _Anne _tournament, and he was eager to find out just how well the unrivaled miracle concoctions worked.

In subsequence to tapping the "Full Restore" option, Ash pointed the face of the depository case toward an empty patch of dirt next to Charmander and Growlithe. He watched in awe as the screen poured out a bright, blue light that covered the area that Ash had pointed it at. The duration of the light lasted for a couple of seconds – about the same amount of time that the light from a pokeball shines when releasing a pokemon– before fading away.

Left in its wake was a small, intricately designed bottle. Its base and mouth piece were tan in color, while the chamber itself was clear, revealing an effervescent, green liquid.

As he picked it up, Ash saw Charmander's confused facial expression.

The majority of medical concoctions were applied externally, typically in the form of a spray. However, higher level potions such as the hyper potion, max potion and full restore were a little bit different. They weren't produced in the form of a spray, but rather a liquid that had to be orally ingested.

Thus, Ash figured that Charmander's confusion stemmed from the fact that the full restore had a mouth piece rather than a nozzle. Ash's theory was confirmed when Charmander's expression shifted from confused to disgusted as he figured out the reason behind the subtle difference in the bottle's appearance.

"Oh, come on," said Ash, slightly amused, "I'm sure it's not as bad as it looks."

Charmander contemplatively pivoted his eyes back and forth between the full restore and Ash before giving him a look that screamed, _you're full of crap!_

Ash let out a brief chuckle as he thought of a response, "Okay, maybe it'll be gross, but it will make you feel better. Right, Growlithe?"

Growlithe let out a half-hearted yip while looking at the green concoction. His eyes depicted repugnance. It was clear that Growlithe didn't like the looks of the full restore either.

In subsequence to Growlithe's less than convincing bark, Charmander emitted a disconsolate groan. The fire lizard definitely wasn't happy that he would have to drink such a nasty looking solution.

"Thanks, Growlithe…" drawled Ash as he shot his best friend a dirty look, "he's going to have to drink it either way. You could have at least helped me convince him that it wouldn't be a horrible experience."

Growlithe diverted his eyes away from Ash before centering his attention on Charmander. Despite the fact that he was just as put off by the full restore as Charmander, he used his head to gesture towards the concoction, beckoning Charmander to drink it.

Charmander made a wry face as he dubiously nodded. Ash wasn't positive what was going through his mind, but it looked like he would willingly drink it.

With a smile on his face, Ash picked up the full restore. "I promise, it'll be worth it. Once you drink it, you'll be feeling great."

In return, Charmander gave Ash an unenthusiastic smile. No amount of smooth talk would convince the fire-type that this was going to be a pleasant experience.

He shrugged before removing the plastic seal that was bound around the full restore's mouth piece. Once the seal had been excised, Ash opened the attached lid. He almost gagged as he was smacked in the face by a repulsive odor. Although it wasn't even close to being the most disgusting thing he had smelled – which was Ariana's muk – he couldn't imagine having to drink it.

Upon catching a whiff of the atrocious smelling miracle potion, Ash felt bad for Charmander. If the full restore smelt _this _bad, it probably tasted ten times worse. Charmander had been right to be disgusted. This definitely wasn't going to be fun.

Once Ash had a little bit of time to become somewhat acclimated to the smell, he looked up and saw that his pokemon were having a similar reaction.

Growlithe's nose was buried in the ground, which didn't surprise Ash. If the smell of the full restore had been disgusting to him, it was probably unbearable to the pup whose sense of smell was rumored to be millions of times greater than that of a human.

Charmander's facial expression had gone from disgusted to utterly mortified. Ash watched guiltily as his fire lizard's tiny nostrils palpitated, and tears, like those that you get when you chop up an onion, leaked from his eyes.

"Damn," said Ash, blinking excessively as the pungent odor seeped into his eye sockets, "that's awful. Let's get this over with."

Charmander let out a groan as he slowly nodded his head, whereas Growlithe rubbed his nose even deeper into the ground.

Alrighty then…" said Ash as he tried his best not to breathe out of his nose, "open up. I'll pour... you drink. Since your injuries aren't that bad, only take a couple of sips. That should be plenty."

He paused, "Once you swallow, no matter how gross it is, keep it down. It'll be a waste if you don't. It needs to reach your bloodstream. If you throw it up right away, it won't have a chance to do that."

Charmander nodded before hesitantly opening his mouth. At least he didn't have to drink the whole thing.

Ash cringed the moment that the green liquid hit Charmander's mouth. The fire lizard's eyes bulged, and his face contorted. It was apparent that the concoction tasted as bad or maybe even worse than it smelt, which was definitely saying something.

Nevertheless, he swallowed it.

"Come on, Charmander, keep it down," said Ash as he watched his lizard pokemon rollover out of his lap and gag. "You can do it."

It took a little bit of time, but Charmander eventually ceased gagging. As soon as he stopped, he used a dull part of his claws to try and scrape the taste off of his tongue. When he wasn't scraping his tastebuds, he was spitting up green tinted saliva that sizzled and smoked when it the ground, which was due to Charmander's hot, internal temperature.

Ash felt bad. He knew what it was like to experience a high degree of discomfort for the sake of getting better. He had a somewhat similar experience when his favorite Nurse Joy healed his hand after he burned it on Charmander's tail flame, although Ash would say that his experience was worse. He had a tough time believing that the grotesque taste of the full restore could come anywhere close to rivaling the pain that he felt when his second-degree burns rapidly recovered.

Be that as it may, Ash was having a tough time finding the words to tell Charmander that he still needed to take another gulp. It was obvious that one sip was difficult enough for him to endure. Two would be torture.

"That bad, eh?" queried Ash with a frown. "You're already halfway there. Just one more sip, and that'll be it."

In response to Ash's words, Charmander glanced back up at his trainer with a look of incredulousness plastered across his face. Just by looking at the expression on his face, Ash could tell that there wasn't anything else in the world that the lizard pokemon would rather _not _do than take another sip of the full restore.

Now would have been the perfect time to ask Growlithe if he could give Charmander some friendly encouragement, but then he realized that his puppy pokemon still had his nose pressed against the earth's surface. Ash was starting to think that Growlithe had it just as bad as Charmander.

He thought about returning his puppy pokemon in order to save him from the horrid stench, but he changed his mind when he came to the conclusion that he would only have the full restore bottle open for a little bit longer. Regardless of how gross it was, one more swig wouldn't take long. They would be finished in no time.

"Open up, buddy," said Ash, pity evident in his voice. "Let's just get it over and done with."

It took the lizard pokemon a brief moment to get in the right state of mind, however, Charmander eventually unhinged his jaw, allowing Ash to pour another portion of the green solution into his mouth. His reaction was similar. It was slightly more intense, though. This time, Ash actually thought that Charmander was going to puke, and Haunter emerged from the shadows to laugh at him—which was actually his way of making sure that he was okay.

Once Charmander had settled down, and Ash was positive that he wasn't going to throw it up, the dark-haired boy put the lid back on the full restore – which was still about three quarters of the way full – before returning it to his "medical" depository case.

"Now, it's just a waiting game," said Ash as he placed the depository case back in his backpack. "According to the instructions on the bottle, you should be completely healed in like ten minutes."

Despite the fact that he still looked queasy, Charmander let out a confirmatory grunt.

At the same time, Growlithe lifted his nose from the dirt, and exhaled a small flame out from his mouth and into his nostrils.

This was the first time Ash had ever seen Growlithe do this, so at first he was confused. However, after thinking it over, he came to the conclusion that Growlithe had been clearing his nasal passageway by means of fire—which judging by Growlithe's relieved disposition must have been rather effective…

At any rate, after about five minutes, Charmander's body began to show signs of rejuvenation.

By the time ten minutes passed, he was back to one-hundred percent. A grin stretched across Ash's face as he watched Charmander and Growlithe run around the campsite with glee. Judging by Charmander's behavior, he would say that his fire lizard was feeling even better than he had before the training session.

It was apparent that despite the full restore's nasty smell and repugnant taste, it worked magic when it came to healing pokemon. Ash had never seen anything like it. Just a short while ago, Charmander could barely move. Now, he was running around, wrestling with Growlithe like nothing happened..

It was incredible.

"I told you it would be worth it," said Ash to Charmander as he started to pack up the campsite.

His fire lizard let out a playful squeal as he and Growlithe shot fun-sized Embers at each other. Ash thought about asking them to help him pick up, but he decided to let them play instead. After their training session and their exposure to the full restore, they deserved it.

Once Ash had finished loading everything back into his depository cases, he stowed them away in his backpack before calling out to Growlithe and Charmander.

"Charmander, Growlithe, back to me!" bellowed Ash while handling Charmander's pokeball.

Both of his fire-types ceased their lighthearted wrestling match before loping back over to Ash's side.

"It's time to go," said Ash, adjusting the straps on his backpack. "If we cover some solid ground today, we should reach Celadon by the end of the week."

Growlithe and Charmander nodded their heads, indicating that they were ready to go.

"Do you want to stay out, Charmander?" asked Ash as he habitually tossed his lizard pokemon's pokeball up and down in his hand.

Charmander emitted a confirmative squeal. He was feeling good; Ash could tell. There was no way that he wanted to spend the day in sequester…not when he felt as good as he did.

"Gotcha'," said Ash as he reattached Charmander's empty pokeball to his belt.

All that was left was to retrieve Haunter, and they were good to go.

"Haunter, it's time to—"

Ash's sentence was cut short as Haunter jetted out of a group of shadows, belonging to a collection of thickets, before stopping right in front of Ash. He turned his back to his trainer, causing Ash to jump back in confusion. It was as if Haunter had hurried into a position where he could protect him. This wasn't Haunter's normal behavior. Something was wrong..

"What is it, Haunter?" questioned Ash quietly as adrenaline started to surge within him. "What's wrong?"

All of a sudden, Growlithe and Charmander got into defensive stances. Their dispositions went from docile to wild in the blink of an eye. Whatever had caused Haunter to rush over to protect him had captured their attention as well.

This was strange…

Ever since Saffron, his pokemon didn't spook easily, and Ash had never seen Haunter in such a panicked state. While trekking through Route Seven, multiple trainers had approached them, and they had come across several wild pokemon. None of them had caused his pokemon to so much as bat an eye.

Why now? What was going on?

Ash's eyes were drawn over to the direction that Haunter had spurted out of when he heard a rustling sound coming from inside of the brush. Something was over there. They were being watched.

His stomach started to stir, and his heartbeat hastened. Pokemon or human, whatever it was had to be strong. His friends wouldn't have responded this way if it wasn't.

In addition, it had to be something that was capable of masking its scent. Growlithe's sense of smell may have been afflicted by the pungent full restore, but there was no way it had completely stopped working. If it did, Growlithe would have let Ash know. No, whatever was stalking them had found a way to bypass Growlithe's aromatic awareness, which sent shivers down Ash's spine.

"No sudden movements," said Ash, whispering as he slowly reached for Pidgeotto's pokeball.

Despite the fact that he didn't know what they were dealing with, he wanted to be prepared to release another one of his friends just in case. The thing that was watching them had scared Haunter – a ghost-type, and his strongest pokemon – which meant that it was on an entirely different level.

They were in the presence of something overwhelming. Otherwise, Haunter would have taken care of it long before it had a chance to approach Ash. If it was hostile, they would need all of the help they could get.

"Do not attack unless I say so," said Ash, "hopefully, whatever is over there is just curious about us. Follow my lead."

Growlithe, Charmander and Haunter nodded. They understood the situation.

There was a moment of silence as they waited for the hidden entity to make a move. All that Ash could hear was the sound of the breeze as it danced throughout the bracken and the steady pulse of his own breathing.

About thirty seconds subsided before Ash noticed another movement in the brush. This time it was closer.

…The being was on the verge of revealing itself.

When it finally did, Ash's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Strutting out of the assemblage of chaparral was a beautiful, lustrous ninetails. It looked as powerful and primordial as it was elegant. He didn't know what it was, but he had a feeling that it wasn't your average specimen.

It was his first time ever seeing a ninetails, so he couldn't be sure, but something felt different about it. Now that Ash had laid eyes on it, he wasn't surprised that Haunter had fallen back to him. Just standing in its presence made Ash feel inferior. It reminded him of the time that he had met the elder clefable within the depths of Mt. Moon or the mesmeric dragonite at Bill's lighthouse.

Ash could tell that it was ancient and wise. He had heard stories that ninetails could live to be more than one-thousand years old. Until this moment, he had thought those stories to be fiction. However, just by standing in this ninetails' presence, Ash knew that he had been wrong...

It didn't appear to be hostile, but Ash and his pokemon didn't drop their guard. Ninetails were crafty after all. There was no way to tell what it was up to.

Ash watched in awe as its thick, luxurious golden-white fur flowed with the wind, and its nine long tails – each of which were tipped with pale orange pelage – curled elegantly behind it.

The ninetails had a fluffy crest atop its head and a small mane that covered its neck. It had long, slender legs with three toed-paws, and although it's body was thin, Ash could tell that it was muscular and athletic.

Even though its physique was impressive, its most captivating feature was its radiant, red eyes. No matter how hard Ash tried, he couldn't stop looking at them.

They were bewitching. It's not like he didn't know that ninetails' eyes had the ability to control minds, however, with a specimen of this level that kind of knowledge was useless. If ninetails wanted him to get lost in its gaze, Ash would get lost in its gaze. He had no say in the matter. It was unavoidable.

As a matter of fact, as long as Ash was in the presence of such a being, he had no control over anything. He would speak when permitted to. He would move when beckoned to. He wouldn't divert his eyes until ninetails allowed him to. And if it chose to turn hostile, his chances of survival were slim. A fraction of its might would overpower all of his friends combined, and he knew it.

For that reason, Ash just stood there. His eyes remained planted on the ninetails as it waltzed closer to them. Even though its red eyes were primeval and extrinsic, Ash was able to tell that it was sizing them up. It was definitely interested in him and his friends. Why...Ash didn't know?

All of a sudden, the dark-haired boy grasped his head when he felt an intrusive aura press up against his mind. It was nothing like when Sabrina had delved into his thoughts and memories. Instead, it reminded him of the time that the elder clefairy had breached his psyche with zero regard for comfort.

He couldn't help but let out a loud, jarring scream. Judging by the fact that he could hear his friends disembogue painful cries in their own native tongues, Ash assumed that the ninetails was entering their minds as well.

"_Good afternoon, Ash Ketchum_,_" _said a mature, female voice that rang inside of his head.

It echoed within his mind like a crash in a long, empty corridor. He had to use every ounce of his strength not to fall to his knees; the ninetails' telepathy was _that _painful.

"Hello," managed Ash as he fought to stay on his feet.

Hopefully, his mind would either acclimate to the pain or go numb because the ninetails had only communicated four words, and he didn't know how much more of it he could handle. He was wrong to compare the ninetails' telepathy to the elder clefable's, it was far more painful.

It felt much less natural, probably because of the ninetails' typing. Although the elder clefable wasn't a psychic-type, its typing was still categorized as one of the mystic elements. The ninetails species may have some supernatural abilities, but it was still a fire-type. Obviously, a fairy-type would be much more adept when it came to a metaphysical skill like telepathy.

"_Young ones, Shadow Dweller," _articulated the ninetails as she slowly circled around them, "_good day to you as well."_

Ash heard all three of his released pokemon let out grunts of acknowledgement. He could clearly hear the pain in their voices. It sickened him.

"_My name is Willow," _said the ninetails as it focused its attention back on Ash. "_I apologize for my telepathy…"_

She paused as she looked at him with a devious expression, "_I don't use it very often. I'm aware that it is rather…uncomfortable."_

Ash ignored the comment. He didn't want to say anything that could upset the ninetails. If the ninetails wanted to deride her telepathy then she could deride her telepathy. It didn't matter how painful it was, Ash wasn't stupid enough to risk insulting her.

_"Do not fret, child," _said Willow as she got as close to Ash as possible without touching him. "_I don't bite."_

Due to the fact that she was using telepathy to speak to him, Ash couldn't sense any emotion in her projected voice. However, judging by her countenance, he wasn't sure if he could believe her. Her body language and mannerisms portrayed mischievousness. Ash got the feeling that life was one big game to her.

He kept his eyes locked on her as he thought of an appropriate response. "That's good to know. I'll admit, I was worried."

"_Worried..." _drawled Willow as she squinted her scarlet red eyes, "_about me? Oh, hush, child…I'm harmless…"_

She paused as she impishly bared her fangs, "_That is…if I like you."_

Ash resisted the urge to gulp as he formed a small smile. His gut told him that Willow would respond better to flippancy than discomposure.

She let out what sounded like a light chuckle as she began to circle them once more.

"_Just kidding," _she said with an elvish expression on her face. "_I wouldn't hurt you even if I didn't like you. Lots of detestable trainers pass through these parts, and I leave them alone. I know enough about human society to understand what happens if a pokemon harms a human. Why subject myself to that kind of inconvenience? That would be nonsensical, don't you agree?"_

"I d-do," stammered Ash as he once again fought the desire to fall to his knees. "A being as powerful as you is far too intelligent to get mixed up in something like that."

"_Your words flatter me, child," _enunciated Willow while approaching Ash from behind. She placed her head on Ash's shoulder as she used one of her tails to gently wrap him up into a soft embrace.

For the first time, due to her awkward positioning, Ash was able to take his attention off of Willow's alluring eyes. He quickly looked into his peripherals to check on his pokemon. All three of them had their eyes fastened on the ninetails. It was as if they were frozen, completely motionless on account of the ninetails' mighty aura.

"_Don't worry about your friends," _projected Willow. "_They're fine. Just in a trance, that's all. They can perceive everything that is going on, but they can't move. The relationship between pokemon and trainer can cause a pokemon to do irrational things. I'd rather avoid something like that. Your pokemon are very loyal to you; they're the type that would sacrifice themselves for your safety."_

She moved her head from Ash's right shoulder to his left before continuing, "_Especially that handsome little Growlithe of yours. He would die for you if the situation called for it. Although, I can't see that happening. Your potential as a tandem is way too immense for destiny to allow something like that to happen. At least, I think so. I would never claim to be a fortune teller nor would I ever want to be one. Life is more fun when it's unpredictable."_

Willow took her head off of Ash's shoulder and released him from the grasp of her tail before settling back in front of him. As she stood in front of him, he finally worked up the courage to ask her a question of his own.

"What is it that you want?" asked Ash. "Why has a wild pokemon of your level revealed herself to me?"

Willow squinted her eyes and tilted her head as she seemed to be thinking of a response.

"_Well, I have multiple reasons for visiting you, Ash Ketchum. I will not and cannot reveal all of them. However, I don't see the harm in sharing some of my intentions for seeking you out."_

_"_Okay," said Ash as he felt the pain from the telepathy begin to lessen, "I will be grateful for whatever you choose to share with me."

"_You're a rather well-mannered child, Ash Ketchum," _said the ninetails, contemplatively, while sitting back on her haunches. _"Either that or you simply handle me well. Hmm…I think, I think I've come to the conclusion that I don't dislike you. Maybe, I'll share more than I originally intended."_

"It's up to you," retorted Ash with a shrug, "I'll take whatever you are willing to give me."

At this point, his mind had already acclimated to Willow's presence. Her telepathy had dulled into more of an unnatural pressure rather than pain.

"_Hmm…let's see…" _articulated Willow, tilting her head from side to side, "_one of the primary reasons that I have come to see you is that you showed rare kindness to four of my younglings the other day."_

"Ah, I get it," said Ash, "so you're those four vulpix kits' mother?"

"_Oh, no, child," _snickered Willow. "_Those four vulpix are merely a couple months old. They're just babes—the youngest in the valley. My days of fertility are long gone."_

"I don't understand," said Ash, "why did you call them _your_ younglings then?"

"_Ah, well," _said Willow, "_they are younglings because I am much, much older than them, and they are mine because they are my descendants. I secretly oversee them, just like every other vulpix and ninetails in this part of Kanto."_

"Wait…" drawled Ash with a look of astonishment on his face, "I don't get it. Are you trying to say that all of the vulpix and ninetails in this area are related to you, or are you trying to tell me that you look after all of them? Which one is it?"

"_Both," _answered Willow, bearing a sly smirk. _"But the details of my kin are irrelevant at the moment. I wish to go back to your original question."_

Ash nodded, respecting the mysterious Willow's privacy.

"_Another reason I have come to see you is because of your two fire-types," _explained Willow as she used her head to gesture towards Growlithe and Charmander. "_A friend of mine has told me that they have quite a bright future ahead of themselves. I wish to test their strength while they are in their adolescence."_

Ash had to admit, he felt a load of pride well up inside of him when Willow mentioned that she was interested in Charmander and Growlithe. He was also curious about who this _friend _of hers was, but he figured it would be better not to ask. He liked to ask questions, but now wasn't the time to be nosy.

"I'm sure they would be honored to be evaluated by you," replied Ash.

Ash heard Growlithe and Charmander let out grunts of affirmation, confirming his words.

"Are you wanting to do this now?" asked Ash with curious eyes.

"_Soon…" _said Willow as she eyed Growlithe and Charmander_, "but not quite yet. I'm enjoying our conversation, and I still have more to share with you regarding my purpose for being here."_

"Alright," replied Ash. "If that's the case, can I make a request?"

"_What is it, child?" _questioned the ninetails as she tilted her head to the side.

"Now that my friends and I are aware that you're not a threat," said Ash with adamant eyes, "can you please release them from the trance? They won't do anything stupid. I promise."

"_Oh, yes, of course," _said Willow with what looked like a fake, absent-minded expression. _"I should have done that a while ago. Silly me..."_

She blinked her eyes. Simultaneously, Ash felt Growlithe, Charmander and Haunter move around him. He still didn't feel comfortable taking his eyes off of Willow, so he wasn't able to check on them visually. However, just knowing that they could freely move their bodies again was a major relief.

"Thank you," said Ash with a smile. "Now, where were we?"

"_I was just about to share with you another reason that I have come to meet you," _Willow explained as she resumed her waltz around Ash and his friends.

Ash nodded his head and listened attentively, allowing Willow to reestablish control over the conversation.

"_You have been a part of some rather paramount happenings as of late," _said the ninetails, coming to a halt directly in front of Ash_, "correct?"_

Memories of the SS _Anne_ and Saffron ricocheted within his mind. Evil, pain, suffering, death, Team Rocket, abomination, prophecy, Chosen One—all exploding against his psyche like a conflux of rogue fireworks.

_"_Um, yeah," said Ash as he wondered how Willow had learned about the cataclysmic events that he had been a part of over the past month.

"_My friend has asked me to deliver a message regarding these matters…" _said Willow as she stared Ash straight in the eyes. "And the ones to come…"

Ash's heartbeat began to quicken, and his stomach started to stir. Of course the ninetails' presence had something to do with all of the calamity that was unfolding. Like it or not, he was intertwined in this mess. Whether it was due to coincidence or an ancient prophecy, he was a part of it.

"What is it?" asked Ash with apprehension evident in his voice. "What's the message?"

"_Breathe easy, Ash Ketchum," _said Willow as she flashed him what appeared to be her version of a smile. _"It is nothing to worry about. The message is, __**'Do not fret over destiny. Take things as they come, and trust your allies. You will be prepared; it has already been ensured. Focus on your dreams, for they were given to you by the Father. They will guide and sharpen you, so that you can slay whatever evils get in the way.'**__"_

"...What the hell?" stammered Ash as he looked at Willow in a confused manner.

"_Do you need me to repeat the message?" _asked Willow as she tilted her head from side to side. _"I didn't find it that complex, but I don't mind repeating it if you need me to."_

"No, that's okay," retorted Ash as he readjusted his hat. "The meaning isn't what has me confused. For the most part, I understand it all. I just have a couple of questions."

"_Yes?" _

"At first, I wasn't going to ask," said Ash, " but you've mentioned this _friend _of yours twice now, and whoever it is seems to know a lot about me. Who is it? Do I know them?"

"_That is something that I cannot tell you," _answered the ninetails. _"You will find out when the time is right."_

"Dammit, okay…" drawled Ash.

There was no sense in arguing with the indomitable ninetails. Ash knew she wouldn't budge. Besides, just because they were having a pleasant conversation, didn't mean that things would remain that way. He still wanted to avoid frustrating an entity as powerful as Willow if he could.

"_You said you had a couple of questions?" _asked Willow as she expectantly brought her face closer to Ash's.

"Who's the Father_?" questioned Ash, "_and does all of this have to do with the 'Prophecy of the Chosen One'?"

"_Once again, child," _said Willow, squinting her eyes, "_those are questions that I'm not permitted to answer. Eventually, you will get answers, but they cannot come from me. However, for now, take comfort in the fact that your journey as a pokemon trainer is just as much a part of destiny as all of the imperative events you have and will play a part in."_

She paused, "_So, during these moments of peace, it is important that you train, battle, create relationships and enjoy yourself. Do all of the things that an aspiring pokemon master is supposed to do, and do them with all of your ability. Take pleasure in life, and rejoice in the fact that you have a purpose. Without a purpose, happiness is impossible."_

Feelings of guilt boiled up inside him as he thought about the way that he had responded to the possibility of being a part of an ancient prophecy. Willow was right. He should feel honored. He should take pride in the fact that he, of all people, could have been chosen. He should be happy that his purpose in life could be something so…heroic.

After all, not everyone's destiny involved following their dreams. Not everyone's destiny gave them an opportunity to be happy. Not everyone's destiny gave them a _purpose_.

"You're right…" answered Ash with a small smile, "thank you for delivering the message. I needed to hear it. I'll trust the fact that my questions will be answered when the time is right, and I'll follow my dreams the best that I can."

"_Wise words, Ash Ketchum," _retorted Willow with a smile of her own. _"It makes me happy that you have come to this realization. Now, what do you say we move forward with the test? I'm anxious to see the potential of your fire-types first-hand."_

"Okay," answered Ash. "How do you want to do this?"

He paused, "What do you have in mind?"

She smirked as her eyes shifted from serene to vigorous. "_How do pokemon usually test each other's clout?"_

Ash's eyes widened as he deciphered Willow's words, "Oh, God…um, alright. Growlithe, Charmander, are you up for the challenge?"

Although he could sense a hint of fear in their voices, both of his fire-types let out grunts of approval.

In concurrence with his fire-types' response, Haunter put forth an array of cacophonous laughter. The apparition was clearly entertained.

The ten-year-old boy took a deep breath as he mentally prepared himself for the upcoming, lopsided battle. At the very least, things were about to get interesting.

XXX

"Let's do this!" bellowed Ash.

Despite the fact that a loss was inevitable, he wanted his friends to give this battle their all. No matter how out of their league they were, this was a great opportunity.

Willow was as strong or even stronger than any pokemon he had ever met before. She was elite. As far as wild pokemon go, her presence was on the same level as the elder clefable and the momentous dragonite.

In subsequence to Ash's encouragement, Growlithe's muscles tensed in preparation to explode out of his stance, whereas Charmander raised his claws for battle. Ash had to admit, his friends were brave. Even though they were at a big disadvantage, they weren't hesitant to take the current challenge head on.

Undeterred by the fact that they were afraid, they were able to look past their fear for an opportunity to display their potential to an ancient and almighty fire-type. To say that they were inspiring would be an understatement.

"_Impressive…" _articulated Willow, projecting her monotonous voice so that Ash could understand her, _"both of your essences are rich with courage. Your spirits are strong."_

She squinted her eyes and bared her teeth before continuing, _"bravery is essential for a formidable internal flame. Show me the fire that dwells within the two of you."_

As Willow's words echoed withIn his mind, Ash felt the temperature in the air rise when both of his friends rapidly loaded their maws with scorching flames. If fire was what Willow wanted, fire was what she was about to get. There was no sense in sitting back and waiting for the elder ninetails to make a move. It was time to attack.

"Now!" howled Ash while Charmander and Growlithe exploded forward out of their stances.

Both of them let out loud battle cries as they approached Willow with fire leaking from their mouths. The elder ninetails stood still, unperturbed by Ash's two fire-types' impending presences. A small simper could be seen on her face as Growlithe and Charmander rapidly severed the distance between her and themselves.

As they drew closer and closer to Willow, it became apparent that she had no intention of dodging them. From point-blank range, Growlithe and Charmander released two full-power Embers. The raging flames engulfed the ninetails, covering her in what looked like a reddish orange blanket.

Ash clenched his fists with vigor as he watched Growlithe immediately follow his Ember with Flame Wheel. He enveloped himself in fervent flames, causing the temperature around them to rise even higher.

Ash had to say, Growlithe and Charmander's flames were livelier than usual. Either the training they had put in since leaving Saffron was reaping even more benefits than he originally anticipated, or the ancient ninetails' presence was magnifying their overall fire output.

...Maybe it was a combination of both.

In concurrence with Growlithe's Flame Wheel, Charmander emitted a swirling ball of orange and purple fire. His control wasn't perfect, but it appeared as if Charmander's skill with Dragon Rage was improving even more.

Now that he could release a full-fledged Dragon Rage, they had been practicing some more intricate variations of the technique. While working on Dragon Rage, they had learned that the mixture of natural and draconic flames could be imposing even without mastery over Dragon Rage.

However, now that Charmander's internal flame and draconic energy had separated, with practice, he had become capable of intentionally blending his Dragon Rage and Ember into a controllable combination attack. Thus, fulfilling Willow's request to experience the extent of his flames, Charmander intermixed Dragon Rage with his Ember in order to enhance its intensity.

Both Growlithe's Flame Wheel and Charmander's Draconic Ember converged on Willow at the same time, sandwiching her in what would have been a devastating fire-type combination against a _normal _opponent.

Too bad that there was nothing _normal _about Willow.

She had already been doused in flames, so Ash wasn't able to see if she depicted even a slight hint of pain. Nonetheless, when the flames subsided, it was evident that the elder ninetails hadn't taken any damage. The only visible difference that Ash could detect was that her coat looked even more dazzling than before.

Despite the fact that Ash knew Willow was on a level that he couldn't comprehend, he was still surprised to see that his friends' attacks were entirely ineffective. The vulpix line may have the capability of developing a formidable internal flame, but they weren't as impervious to fire as species like the magby or slugma lines.

No, like Growlithe, a vulpix or ninetails could be hurt by their own element if their opponent's internal flame was strong enough. Unfortunately, although Growlithe and Charmander had improved a lot over the past couple of months, their internal flames weren't even close to being strong enough to damage a ninetails' of Willow's caliber. She was just too strong.

"_I see…" _drawled Willow as Charmander and Growlithe leapt back, putting distance between themselves and the almighty fox, _"your flames ooze with potential."_

She took a deep breath as she centered her eyes on Ash, _"Do not judge the power of their internal flames based off of their effect on me. I haven't been burned by fire for centuries, and the flames that scalded me belonged to a Legendary. Growlithe and Charmander are mere babes, and this battle is nothing but a test of potential. If you expected me to take any damage…well, that's just silly."_

Ash had to admit the bit about Willow being burned by a Legendary was pretty damn cool, but he stayed quiet as he watched the ninetails snicker at him. He didn't have anything to say back to her. She was right after all.

"If fire won't work, we'll have to use some of our other techniques," said Ash to Growlithe and Charmander. "Charmander, use Smokescreen followed by Focus Punch! Growlithe, use Helping Hand on Charmander!"

Ash watched with hopeful eyes as Charmander spat out a plethora of black smoke in the direction of Willow. It spread throughout the clearing, covering almost everything except for Ash and Growlithe. As Charmander's Smokescreen diffused around the glade, Growlithe's body was enveloped in a faint, white energy. Ash could see the energy leaving Growlithe's body and entering Charmander, providing the lizard Pokemon with a temporary power boost.

A small smile crept across Ash's face. It had been a long time since Growlithe had gotten an opportunity to use Helping Hand, so at the very least, he was happy that his friend was still able to pull it off. He knew that it wouldn't make a difference in the battle against Willow, but at least they were able to execute all of their techniques.

Once the Smokescreen had been set and the Helping Hand had been initiated, Charmander took off into the black smoke. The only part of him that Ash could see was a tiny orange and red illumination that was undoubtedly his tail flame. Charmander seemed to know this as well, which is why he let out a barrage of Embers towards the ground that would help disguise his location.

It was a smart idea, albeit Ash was worried about the environment. Hopefully, Charmander's Embers hadn't made contact with any dry shrubs. He didn't want to have to ask Ivysaur and Wartortle to clean up after his fire-types again. They were getting tired of it; he could tell.

All of a sudden, amidst the inky cloud, Ash heard a loud crash and a painful sounding cry that belonged to Charmander. The moment the fire lizard shrieked, Growlithe took off into the smoke like he had been launched out of a cannon.

Simultaneously, a large pillar of blue fire shot through the air, causing the smoke from the Smokescreen to disperse in a heartbeat. Even though he didn't see it being released, he didn't have to think very hard to figure out that the massive, bright blue flamethrower had been put forth by Willow. Neither of his friends were capable of emitting such a monstrous flame.

When the smoke vanished, Ash cursed under his breath as he saw Charmander down on the ground, trying his best to get back up on his feet. He wasn't quite sure what had happened, but judging by the way the fire lizard was favoring his side, Ash guessed that Willow had performed some kind of counterattack when Charmander had tried to use Focus Punch.

At the same time, Growlithe charged the ninetails, who was looking at him with impish eyes. Ash cringed when he saw Growlithe leap forward in order to use Bite, only to get effortlessly smacked away by one of Willow's tails. He hit the ground hard before turbulently skidding halfway across the clearing.

"That's enough!" exclaimed Ash as he handled Growlithe and Charmander's pokeballs. "There's no need to take this any further, right? That should have been enough to gauge their strength, and I don't want my friends to get hurt for no reason."

Willow flashed Ash a small smile as she gestured with her head in the direction of Charmander. _"Be patient, Ash Ketchum. I may have already analyzed their potential, but…well, just look for yourself."_

Ash's expression brightened up when he redirected his line of sight over to Charmander, catching a glimpse of the determination in his lizard pokemon's eyes the moment before his entire body erupted in an incandescent, white light. A grin stretched from cheek to cheek as he processed what was going on.

Finally, it was happening. Charmander was evolving.

Ash watched in awe as the surge of bright light enshrouded Charmander's entire being. All Ash could see was a shadowy silhouette of the fire lizard's body within the light, rapidly growing and changing shape into something new.

When the light finally subsided, and the evolution was complete, a smirk crossed Ash's face as he examined his friend's new form. The first thing he noticed was that Charmeleon stood at least a foot taller than he had as a charmander, and his frame was much more muscular.

Even though the color of his reptilian skin had already significantly darkened prior to evolution, his scales were now crimson in color rather than reddish orange. His snout had elongated, giving his facial features a much more draconic look, and the horn on the back of his head had also gotten longer than it had been right before he evolved.

His irises had gone from blue to green, which gave Charmeleon a much fiercer countenance, and the claws on his fingers and toes had grown bigger and sharper. Ash also couldn't help but notice the size of Charmeleon's tail flame, which had grown to about twice the size as it had been when he was in his primary form.

Overall, if Ash had to explain Charmeleon's evolution in one word, it would be _badass_. He had shed his former cute, cuddly appearance for something way more intimidating.

"Hell yeah, Charmeleon!" bellowed Ash with elation evident in his tone of voice. "You did it! You evolved!"

Charmeleon blinked a couple of times in a confused manner before inspecting some of his new features with admiration. Ash could tell that his friend was excited. Evolution was something he had been working toward for a while now, and finally it had happened. No longer would he be the only member of Ash's elemental trio that was still in his primary stage. He had caught up to the others.

Charmeleon's self-examination was put on pause when Growlithe approached him in a mirthful state. The puppy pokemon looked even more excited than Charmeleon as he let out a series of joyful barks. Ash couldn't help but laugh as he watched his two fire-types celebrate.

"_What a beautiful friendship," _said Willow, snatching Ash's attention away from his friends.

Ash observed as Willow steadily crossed the clearing. At this point, it was apparent that the battle was over. Willow had accomplished what she wanted to, and it wasn't smart to battle right after evolution unless it was absolutely necessary. The strain on a pokemon's body after going through evolution was too high to risk immediate activity.

Granted, the transformation from primary to secondary stage for the charmander line wasn't drastic, and Charmeleon didn't look to be in any pain. Nevertheless, it was smart for them to play it safe, and it appeared as though Willow understood that as well.

_"There are few things in this world that make me happier than camaraderie between fire-types, which is something that isn't prevalent amongst my kin," _said Willow, flashing Ash an authentic smile. _"I like these two a lot. You've made some wondrous friends, child. Regardless of the trials that you will be going through, do whatever you can to keep their hearts pure and their lightheartedness intact."_

Ash nodded as a billion questions regarding the trials Willow referenced flooded his mind. However, he decided to keep them to himself. She had already shared everything that she intended to. There was no reason for Ash to pester her with questions that she had no intention of answering.

"_Moreover, understand that their potential is nearly limitless," _said Willow as she pressed her snout right up against Ash's ear, _"but it is up to you to help them fully realize it. Continue working hard, and groom them for what lies ahead. There is no reason why Growlithe and Charmeleon shouldn't be elite when it comes to battle. Their talent is too immense for them not to be."_

"I know that," replied Ash.

He smiled as he witnessed Growlithe and Charmeleon's dispositions change when they finished their spirited celebration and noticed that Willow had moved over to Ash's side.

"It's my job to help all of my friends realize their full potential, not just Growlithe and Charman…I mean Charmeleon."

"_Yes…" _drawled Willow, circling around Ash in the process, _"well said…You are wise beyond your years, young one."_

"Thank you," retorted Ash while watching Growlithe and Charmeleon lope over to his position with joyous expressions.

This was probably the first time Ash had ever witnessed his friends in a good mood after a loss. From the start, he knew that they were just as much aware of the difference in strength between themselves and Willow as he was, but the fact that they were able to be so positive after such an overwhelming defeat showed Ash that they were maturing.

Of course, Charmeleon's evolution gave them something to actually get excited over. Howbeit, they had been able to read the situation and understand that the battle wasn't about winning, but rather about allowing an unbelievably powerful being, such as Willow, evaluate them.

"Good job, guys" said Ash with a smile as his friends approached him. "You did great."

He centered his attention on solely Charmeleon while placing his hand on the lizard pokemon's shoulder, "Congratulations, I'm so proud of you. I know this is something you've been wanting for a long time."

Charmeleon responded with an affirmative grunt as he emitted a quick burst of flames out of his nostrils in honor of his evolution. In subsequence, Growlithe disembogued another celebratory yap, letting his friend know that he was proud of him as well.

"_Pardon me," _articulated Willow, _"but there are a few things that I would like to say before I go."_

"You're leaving already?" asked Ash with a small frown.

Despite the ninetails' overwhelming presence and elvish personality, Ash was sad to hear that she would be leaving.

Not only did she know a lot of things that he was curious about, but for some strange reason he actually liked being around her. He didn't know why. All they had done was have a quick conversation – which brought up more questions for him to find answers to – and have a one-sided battle in which his friends were essentially toyed with.

Be that as it may, there was something about her that mollified his soul.

It was as if she had been sent to him by something divine—an omnipotent being that knew everything about what he had recently been through and desired to help guide his blemished mind and anxious heart in the right direction.

"_I'm afraid so," _answered Willow, _"I have to get back to my duties."_

She paused as she used her eyes to survey all three of them, "_I am happy that I have gotten the chance to meet all of you. Your potential is insurmountable, which has put my heart at ease. At this point, it has become rather clear that you will play a pivotal role in Kanto's future. Keep your heads up, and continue to strive for excellence. There isn't a doubt in my mind that you will live up to your expectations…as well as everyone else's."_

"Thanks," said Ash, pride swelling up inside him.

Both of his friends mumbled something in their own native tongues. If Ash were to guess, he would say that they were saying thank you as well.

"_Also," _said the ninetails as she squinted her eyes in a serious manner, _"no matter what you do, do not attempt to take on the abomination __before my friend has revealed herself to you. It doesn't matter how much support you have. It doesn't matter what plan you have formulated. Without the help of my friend, you will fail."_

"_Pass this message along to your comrades that also know about the abomination's existence: Do not be reckless, and wait until the time is right. Do not go after the abomination until my friend has revealed herself to you. If you do, Kanto is doomed."_

"I-I understand…" stammered Ash, utterly shellshocked.

He knew that Willow was well informed, but he never expected her to know about the abomination. Just who the hell was this friend of hers?

Ash looked down at his friends, who looked just as stunned as he did, before responding.

"I just have one question…" jabbered Ash, hoping that Willow would answer him this time.

"_What is it, child?" _

"Compared to you, just how strong is the abomination?" questioned Ash, "My friends and I have an idea, but what exactly is it that _you _think we're dealing with?"

"_I do not know the full extent of its power," _answered the ninetails, "_but let me put it this way. My abilities cannot even hold a candle to my friend's might, and even she is apprehensive regarding this beast. If it is not handled correctly, it has the power to destroy everything."_

Ash gulped. "Now, when you say everything, do you literally mean _everything?"_

"_Unfortunately, child, I do_," said Willow, "_which is why it is essential for you and your friends to wait until the time is right. We do not wish to anger the abomination until we figure out what its motive is. Right now, it is in a state of confusion, diligently seeking out its purpose. We desire to wait until it has figured out at least that much. Hopefully, it is not as evil as we fear."_

"I'll pass on the message," said Ash, trying his best not to let fear overwhelm him.

"_Good," _answered Willow as she slowly began to back away. _"Anyways, it is time for us to part. Remember to focus on your journey, and try not to worry. I know destiny can get heavy, but you and your friends are protected."_

She paused, "_Goodbye, Ash Ketchum, Growlithe and Charmeleon. Good luck."_

"Goodbye, Wi—" muttered Ash, slightly taken back by the abrupt change in the atmosphere, before the ninetails suddenly vanished.

She hadn't used Teleport; Ash was sure of it. However, somehow she had managed to disappear into nothingness like she had never existed in the first place. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

"Well, that's one way to make an exit," said Ash with a quaint smile, trying his best to make light of the situation.

He had exposed his friends to enough of his fear as of late. He couldn't keep falling into a tense state every time he got heavy news or something bad happened. If his destiny involved the kind of things that he thought it did, he had to learn how to harmonize his thoughts and focus on the here and now.

He would worry about the future later. All of the things that he had talked about with Willow didn't need to be processed now, and he could pass on the message to Bill and the others when he got to Celadon.

Right now, he had a certain fire lizard's evolution to celebrate and some traveling to do. He was still a few days away from Celadon, and although he was definitely loving his time on the road, it was about time that he covered the rest of the distance in between himself and the most populous city in all of Kanto.

"Let's get going, guys," said Ash while he fixed his cap and readjusted the straps on his backpack. "We've been here for way too long."

Growlithe and Charmeleon nodded, letting out confirmatory grunts in the process.

"Alrighty then," retorted Ash as he checked his bearings on his xtranceiver, "follow me. West is this way"

Both of his fire-types happily accompanied him as he marched through the frail brushwood, trekking his way back to the main path.

XXX

"What is it, boy?" questioned Ash, concerned as he watched Growlithe stop dead in his tracks.

The fur on his back was erect, and he had his snout pointed in the air. Ash took a deep breath as adrenalin welled up inside him. Growlithe only behaved this way when he had picked up a disturbing scent. Something strange was going on somewhere close by.

For a split-second, Ash thought about ignoring whatever Growlithe had caught a whiff of. He wasn't that far removed from Saffron: a place where he had been exposed to things that kids his age weren't supposed to even be aware of, and it had only been a few days since he had met Willow—the ancient ninetails that seemed to know everything about his life.

For the past week and a half, almost nothing had gone wrong. He had been able to spend quality time with his pokemon. His team had gotten plenty of training in. He had battled a plethora of trainers varying in skill level. Charmander was now Charmeleon. And he had even come across some rather _interesting _wild pokemon.

Essentially, up to this point, his journey to Celadon had been a refreshing one, void of any of the dangerous occurrences that had plagued the last month of his life. However, just by looking at Growlithe, he could tell that his luck was about to change.

He wasn't the type of person that could just sit back idly while somebody could be getting hurt. It wasn't in his DNA to do nothing and just hope that the situation worked itself out. Despite the fact that he would probably be throwing himself into trouble, he couldn't ignore Growlithe's behavior. It would be contradictory to his morals and personal integrity.

Thus, he suppressed his urge to walk the other way and decided right then and there to get to the bottom of whatever was going on…

"Is someone in trouble?" asked Ash as he knelt down next to his tense pup.

Growlithe pivoted his gaze toward Ash. His eyes looked fierce and feral, reminiscent of the time that they had been introduced to Team Rocket back on the SS _Anne._

"Gotcha'," said Ash as calmly as possible.

His stomach started to plummet and his pulse began to hasten as memories of the SS _Anne _and Saffron penetrated his mind like they always did during times like this. Hopefully, this wasn't one of those kinds of situations.

As he stood from his crouched position, he reached for Haunter's great ball and Clefairy's pokeball while looking Growlithe in the eyes. "Get ready to follow the scent. I'm going to let out Haunter just in case something bad happens, and Clefairy can use her ears to help us better understand the situation."

The pup nodded his head before taking a couple of steps forward. Ash could hear the faint, raspy sound of Growlithe's snuffling nose as he tried to detect the location of the abhorrent scent that had just invaded his nostrils.

While Growlithe reached out with his aromatic awareness, Ash released Haunter and Clefairy. His two mystic element types greeted their trainer as usual. Haunter made his typical goofy face while letting out an array of cacophonous laughter, whereas Clefairy acknowledged Ash with bright eyes while suppressing her urge to give Ash a hug because of the presence of her male counterparts.

After greeting their trainer, Haunter and Clefairy's dispositions changed when they noticed the look of seriousness on his face. They went from relaxed to alert, ready to follow whatever orders Ash gave them.

"Growlithe's aromatic awareness has picked up a disturbance in the area," explained Ash. "We don't know the severity of the situation, but I need your help."

In response to Ash's words, Haunter bobbed his body up and down while Clefairy let out an affirmative murmuration.

Ash turned his attention over to Growlithe, who was eyeing his comrades with a decisive countenance.

"Do you know where we're going?" asked Ash in the direction of his pup as he unconsciously turned his hat backwards.

Growlithe let out a confident grunt before using his head to beckon them to follow his lead.

"Haunter, you know the drill. I want you in my shadow," said Ash. "If the situation is out of control, knockout anything that you think is a threat. I'm trusting your judgement."

Haunter let out a ghoulish chuckle before casually submerging into his master's shadow. As his ghost-type vanished from view, Ash felt a comforting chill run its course throughout the entirety of his being.

Once the temporary goose bumps caused by Haunter's presence within his shadow subsided, Ash centered his attention on Clefairy.

"I need you to provide tracking support with your sense of hearing," explained Ash. "Growlithe can only pick up the emotions involved. As we get closer, your ears should be able to give us a more detailed idea of what were getting ourselves into."

She nodded, letting Ash know that she understood what he wanted from her.

"Listen for things like battle noises and heated conversation," continued Ash. "If you pick up anything that sounds suspicious, I want to know about it."

Clefairy gave Ash a look of determination; she knew what she had to do.

"Okay then," said Ash as he planted his eyes on Growlithe, "now that everyone's been filled in on the situation, lead the way."

Without hesitation, Growlithe loped south towards a thick part of the bracken. Ash didn't know where or what his pup was leading them to. Nevertheless, he followed his best friend with belief that he was making the right choice.

No matter what was waiting for him, he always had his pokemon. They would protect him.

XXX

After about thirty minutes of trekking through Route Seven's granular terrain and overgrown thickets, Growlithe started to move in a much more decisive manner, and Clefairy's ears began to fidget like crazy.

They were getting close.

Hopefully, they would be able to prevent something bad from happening. Thirty minutes was a long time, and Ash knew it. He didn't want to show up too late to make a difference…

All of a sudden, Ash heard a scream coming from the direction that they were heading in. The voice was female and frightened.

The moment it pierced his eardrums, Ash felt Haunter's presence surge towards the surface of his shadow, and he watched as Growlithe and Clefairy hastened their pace before leaping through a large hedge that blocked the view of what was in front of them.

Using the crease of one of his elbows to shield his eyes, Ash followed his friends and jumped through the big, scrappy plant without hesitation.

He cursed out loud as the bush scraped both of his arms as well as the part of his face that he hadn't covered, breaking the skin. He would have to have a chat with Haunter when he got the chance. There had to be a way that his apparition could protect his body when he was forced to recklessly expose himself to harsh landscape.

When Ash uncovered his eyes, he scowled at what he saw on the other side of the oversized bush.

The first thing he noticed was the massive amount of dilapidated objects scattered around what was a small, mostly defoliated area. The majority of it was destroyed camping gear, but there were some items that definitely belonged to a pokemon trainer such as broken pokeballs, crushed potions, dented in repel canisters, etc…

However, it didn't take very long for his focus to be snatched away by the frightening scene that was unfolding in his peripherals. Over to his right, Growlithe and Clefairy were carefully examining a girl around his age. She was bruised, beaten and bleeding. In addition to the injuries that she had, someone had used an excessive amount of rope to bind her to a large, craggy boulder.

Reacting to his instincts, Ash sprinted over to the battered girl in order to help her.

"Are you okay!?" asked Ash, despite the fact that she clearly wasn't.

Her eyes snapped open as she looked at Ash with an expression that depicted fear. Her face contorted, and her body tensed as she began to toss herself back and forth in attempt to break free of the thick rope that was binding her.

"Let me go! Let me go! Give him back!" shrieked the girl with a combination of alarm and despair evident in her voice. "Give Eevee back!"

Growlithe and Clefairy leapt back, putting enough distance between themselves and the girl that they wouldn't get kicked by her flailing legs. In subsequence, Ash quickly glanced down at his shadow to make sure that Haunter wasn't on the verge of doing something stupid.

Even though the girl had clearly been the victim of a ruthless assault, he never knew how Haunter would react in a situation like this. On account of the panic that was surging through her being, she was out of control. The last thing he wanted was for Haunter to deem her as a threat and try and protect him. He was a ghost-type after all. His train of thought didn't always make sense, especially when his _other _self emerged from the depths of his subconscious.

When Ash glanced down at his shadow, he caught a glimpse of Haunter's eyes peering up at him. They were attentive and alert, but at the same time he wasn't showing any sign of malicious intent.

Ash breathed a sigh of relief. Once again, Haunter was proving to him that he was progressing toward controlling his fiendish desires. Between their present situation and the occurrence involving the enraged troop of mankey, Ash was starting to feel better about Haunter's psychological well-being…

"Calm down! Calm down!" yelled Ash, just loud enough to be heard over her frantic, screaming voice. "We're here to help!"

"Liar!" bellowed the girl as her eyes widened even more than before. "You're lying! We're in the middle of nowhere! You have to be with them!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Ash, trying his best to calm her down by lowering his voice. "I'm a pokemon trainer. My Growlithe sensed that something strange was going on and led me here. I don't know who did this to you, but I had nothing to do with it."

She seemed to relax a little bit as she listened to Ash's words. Her body slightly loosened, and she stopped kicking. Hopefully, the sincerity in his voice had reached her.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and Ash could see a light ray of hope shine through them. However, it didn't take long for the fear to regain control of her. This time she didn't flail, but her eyes widened once more, and her body tensed back up as she raised her voice again.

"How do I know you're not lying!?" bellowed the girl apprehensively. "Maybe you're one of their friends! Maybe you've come to get _your_ fill! Look at me! Look what they did to me!"

"I see you," said Ash, rage building up inside him.

Whoever did this was going to pay. He didn't know a thing about this girl, but no one deserved to go through what she had. This was despicable; she was utterly traumatized.

"I see what they did to you. It's awful, and I would never be a part of something like this. We're not too far from Celadon. Once I untie you, I'll call Celadon's police department and give them the coordinates to our location. Once they hear about the situation, they'll get someone out here as soon as possible."

Her eyes softened, and her expression relaxed. This time Ash had gotten through to her. He was sure of it.

Once again, tears fell from her eyes as she tried her best to answer him, "D-do you promise? D-do you promise that you're not one of them? C-can I trust you? A-are you really going to help me?"

"You can trust me," said Ash as he flashed the girl a big smile, "and that's a promise. Now, let's get you untied."

The girl seemed to settle down even more as she breathed a major sigh of relief and formed a faint smile.

"Growlithe, use Bite to break her free," commanded Ash as he turned his attention over to his best friend.

Listening to his trainer, Growlithe sunk his teeth into the rope that was constricting the girl. He began to gnaw his way through the side of the rope that was looped around the back of the boulder, making sure that the girl was faraway from his razor-sharp teeth.

As Growlithe chomped his way through the thick rope, the girl snatched back Ash's attention.

"W-what's your name?" queried the girl with a faint voice.

"My name…" drawled Ash before answering. "It's Ash...Ash Ketchum."

"T-thank you, Ash," said the girl as her eyes involuntarily slithered shut, "My name's S-skylar…"

Ash didn't even bother answering her. It was a miracle that she had stayed conscious for as long as she did. She deserved a rest as he called the police department.

"Clefairy, once Growlithe gets her out of that rope, lay her down carefully," said Ash with a serious tone of voice as he reached for his pokedex. "She's in bad shape. I don't have anything to treat human wounds as serious as hers, so the best thing we can do is keep her still until help arrives. The Celadon Police Department's number should be in my pokedex."

Once he fired up his pokedex, it was just a matter of sifting through the phone directory archive that was configured inside of its database, and he had found the number he was looking for. The second he found it, he plugged it into his xtransceiver and called.

Despite the resilience that Skylar had shown upon Ash's arrival, the source of her energy was strictly adrenaline. There was no time to waste. The sooner she saw a doctor the better.

"_Ring…"_

"_Ring…"_

"Come on…" drawled Ash as he waited for someone to pick up.

"_Click."_

"This is the Celadon Police Department," said an alert female voice. "Is this an emergency?"

"I wouldn't be calling if it wasn't," retorted Ash sarcastically, "I came across a girl that's beaten up pretty bad. She needs medical attention ASAP.

"What's your location?" asked the female voice. "I'll send help right away."

"We're about a half day's walk east of Celadon," said Ash as he looked up their location on his xtransceiver. Can your phone receive messages? If so, I'll send you our exact coordinates."

"It can," retorted the voice on the other end of the phone. "As soon as we get your coordinates, we'll send someone right away."

"Thanks," said Ash as he eyed the girl known as Skylar. "Please hurry."

"Help will be there soon," reassured the woman on the other end of the line. "We'll send one of our alakazam with a medical team and a couple of officers. In the meantime, watch over her, kid."

The moment the woman he was talking to called him _kid_, an image of his favorite Officer Jenny popped into his head_. _Although her tone of voice was different, something about it reminded him of her.

More than likely, he was on the phone with a member of the Jenny family. After all, he had called a police department. There were likely several members of the large family of identical woman stationed at the Celadon Police Department…

"Awesome," retorted Ash. "We'll be waiting."

"_Click."_

He ended the call before sending the coordinates to the Celadon Police Department. Hopefully, they'd keep their word and show up soon.

In the meantime, there was something he needed to do.

"Growlithe," said Ash with adamant eyes, catching the attention of his pup, "come here."

The puppy pokemon, who had just finished severing the rope that had bound Skylar to the boulder, loped over to his trainer. At the same time, Ash watched as Clefairy moved the poor girl's unconscious body over to a soft patch of dirt before gently laying her down.

"I need you to find the scents of the people that did this to her," said Ash with disgust in his voice. "She mentioned something about an eevee while she was freaking out. I think they stole it from her. As soon as help arrives, and she's in safe hands, we're going after them. There's no way I'm letting a couple of pricks that would do this to a little girl get away with stealing her pokemon."

He paused, "We're going to get that eevee back."

Growlithe looked up at him with feral eyes and nodded his head. It was clear that his best friend was in complete agreement.

"Good," said Ash as he shifted his line of sight over to the girl, "They won't get away with this…I promise."

As Ash's words subsided, he heard a foreboding snicker coming from his shadow.

"As long as you don't kill them," muttered Ash to Haunter as he angrily looked at Skylar's beaten body, "I'll let you do as you see fit."

XXX

To be continued…

XXX

A/N: I hope you liked it. I have a couple of announcements that I want to make, so I hope everyone reads this. First of all, in between chapters, pay attention to my profile. I've started posting updates regarding the status of the chapter while I'm working on it, and I'm trying to make sure that I update my profile at least once a week. Also, since my chapters are so long, I've decided that if it's taking me a long time to get a chapter out, I will post a teaser scene from the upcoming chapter. In case you didn't know, on Christmas Eve, I posted the scene where Ash talks to Gary. I figure it will be a good way to keep you guys interested.

Moreover, please take the time to review. I really like reading all of your thoughts. By the way, Essence has finally exceeded 300,000 words. That's definitely something that I'm really proud of. Anyways, thanks for reading. I'll probably take a day off of writing before I start Kanto 10. Remember pay attention to my profile!

Thanks for reading!

Much love, vincentgrey21.


	10. Kanto 10

A/N: Here's Kanto 10. It's rather transitional and a lot shorter than my other chapters, sitting around 25k, but it gets the job done. Keep in mind that this is the first time that I have managed to post two chapters in one month, so I'm pretty thrilled about it! Also, in order to get this chapter out to you faster, I edited it one less time than normal, so if you see any typos or silly mistakes just PM me. I'd like to know about them as fast as possible, so I can fix them.

Anyways, Enjoy Kanto 10: the Celadon Arc begins!

Kanto 10: Essence

"There they are," whispered Ash in a vengeful manner as he peaked around the corner of a thick, raspy hedge.

He couldn't help but scowl when he got a good look at them. Eating lunch, in the middle of a small clearing, were three rough looking men wearing familiar black jumpsuits. The moment Ash saw the red "R" on their chests, memories of the SS _Anne _and Saffron exploded within his mind.

It was _them_.

Team Rocket was responsible for beating up Skylar and stealing her eevee. Even before he had confirmed it, Ash had a feeling that it was them. At this point, he had been around Team Rocket enough to understand that this was the kind of thing that they were capable of. A heartless crime like injuring a little girl and stealing her pokemon had Team Rocket's name written all over it.

Holding a finger up to his lips, Ash turned around and beckoned Growlithe and Clefairy to stay quiet. The Rockets appeared to be in the middle of a conversation. Maybe, if he listened carefully, he could pick up some important information.

…It was worth a shot.

"Damn, this shit's good!" blurted the largest of the Rockets, digging into a juicy slab of meat. "Better thank the leader when we get back to base. Tauros' meat is the friggin' best."

"_Psht, _once the leader sees what we've got for him, he should be the one thanking us," snorted one of the other Rockets.

This one looked significantly younger than the others. If Ash had to guess, he would say that he was probably in his late teens.

"Shut the hell up, boy!" hissed the third and most rugged looking Rocket. "Petrel doesn't have to thank us for shit!"

Out of all three of them, he stood out the most. Judging by his craggy and weather-beaten face, Ash assumed that he was the oldest out of all of them. He had long, shaggy, brown hair that looked like it had never been combed, and his eyes were cold and devilish. Ash didn't know how, but he could tell that the man could kill at a moment's notice.

"Yeah," added the heavy Rocket as he used his sleeve to wipe his face, "he'd kill you if he knew you'd said that. Executive Petrel may seem chill, but he's a friggin' monster when you make him mad."

He paused as he gestured toward the coarsest of the three Rockets, "Ask Reggie. He's been a part of Petrel's division since _way_ before Team Rocket went into hiding. He could tell you some real messed up stories about the leader, stuff that'll make the shit we did to that girl sound like child's play."

Ash clenched his fists in anger. He didn't like the way that the Rockets were talking so casually about what they had done to Skylar. He wanted to knock them all out then and there, but he knew that wouldn't be a good idea.

Right now, they were talking about a Team Rocket executive. If this Petrel was even half as dangerous as Ariana, Ash's decision to listen in on the grunts' conversation could become extremely beneficial to the League…

"Really!?" questioned the young Rocket with excitement in his voice. "Is he really that ruthless!?"

"Dammit, Fargus…" groaned the Rocket known as Reggie, "just because I told you thosestories, doesn't mean I have to share them with a brat as green as this little shit."

"_Ahh, _come on, Reg, what's the harm?" questioned the heavyset Rocket. "Like it or not, the kid's one of us."

"One of us, eh?" queried Reggie. "You sure about that?"

He paused as he gave the youngest Rocket a menacing glare, "He looks like a stupid, sadistic little twat to me. In my opinion, none of these new recruits have the brains to be _real _Rockets."

"Hey!" scoffed the teenager, clearly offended, "I may be sadistic, but I'm not stupid. Do you think Executive Petrel would have handpicked me to be a part of your squad if I was retarded?"

"What the hell are you bragging about?" asked Reggie with one eyebrow raised. "We're friggin' grunts: henchmen of the executives and fodder to the Boss. We do the dirty work while the higher-ups reap the benefits. Kid, you don't know a damn thing about this organization, do you?"

"Sure I do," retorted the teen. "I wouldn't have joined Team Rocket if I didn't know anything about them."

"Really…is that what you think?" laughed Reggie as he turned his attention back over to Fargus. "Did you here that, Fargus? The little bastard still thinks that he chose to be a part of Team Rocket. What a friggin' joke!"

Fargus let out a burst of laughter before he responded. "Give the kid a break, Reg. We all thought that at one point."

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" asked the young Rocket in a confused manner.

Ash had to admit, he was equally interested in hearing what the eldest Rocket had to say.

"Eh, you'll find out eventually," retorted Reggie with an agitated expression on his face. "This is a topic that I don't like talking about—never have, never will. However, I will enlighten you about something, you little twat…"

"What is it?"

"You're lucky that you ended up in Petrel's division," said Reggie as he took a bite out of the half eaten apple that he had been holding since Ash arrived at the scene. "As long as you don't do anything to cross Petrel, it's the best place for people like us to be. Out of all of the executives, Petrel gives his subordinates the most freedom. Sure, we get orders every once in a while, but most of the time, we're free to wreak havoc as we please."

He paused, "Petrel is nothing like that brainwashing bitch Ariana. He'll let you be an individual as long as you know your place. So, respect him, and you'll be fine. If you don't, I promise you that you'll end up dead. I don't know how he does it, but Petrel always weeds out the little punks that think they're hot shit."

Ash gulped as he listened to the Rocket talk about Petrel. At first, he didn't sound quite as bad as Ariana, but he had a really bad feeling about him. Ash was under the impression that Petrel was rather easy going when unprovoked, but if you got on his bad side, he would crush you without a hint of hesitation.

"I-I understand," stammered the teenager with apprehension in his voice. "I'll make sure to thank Petrel for hooking us up with this meal."

"There you go, Nico!" exclaimed Fargus as he patted him on the back. "I'm glad Reggie was able to talk some sense into you."

"Me too," retorted the young Rocket, known as Nico, as he wiped the nervous sweat from his forehead. "If I died, I wouldn't be able to kill people anymore. That would friggin' suck."

"You really are a twisted little shit, aren't you!?" blurted Reggie, in between laughter, as he pulled a shrunken pokeball out of one of his pockets. "Anyways, we should get going soon. It's about time we got back to the base. Like I said, Petrel doesn't give us orders often. So, when he does, they're always important. I don't know why he wants this eevee so bad, but we better not keep him waiting."

"Gotcha'," said Fargus, standing up from his spot, "I'm done."

"Alright," added Nico, "I'm ready, too."

"Good," retorted Reggie as he stood up and tossed his mostly eaten apple into a nearby bush, "let's go then!"

Ash wasn't surprised when they made no effort to clean up after themselves. Team Rocket was known for having zero regard for the environment. At the moment, it didn't bother him, though. Even if it did, he was already enraged about what they had done to Skylar. They would have to do something utterly atrocious in order to make him any angrier than he already was.

The moment that Ash had come across Skylar's beaten body, Reggie, Fargus and Nico's demise was set in stone. By the end of the day, they would be rotting away in a jail cell. Wherever their base was, they would never make it there. He would make sure of it.

Ash detached Pidgeotto's pokeball from his belt as he started to feel Haunter's presence surge to the surface of his shadow. Simultaneously, he pivoted his attention over to Growlithe and Clefairy, signaling to them that it was time to strike.

For a second, he thought about attempting to have Haunter and Clefairy take them all out at once with Hypnosis and Sing, but he decided against it. Chances were pretty high that they had at least rudimentary level mental barriers.

Moreover, Ash wanted them to get a good look at his face as he wiped the floor with them. He didn't just want to beat them, but he wanted to completely humiliate them. He wanted them to sit in a jail cell, knowing and understanding that they had been put away by a ten-year-old kid. If that put him at a higher risk then so be it. Right now, he didn't really care. The only thing that mattered to him was making them pay for what they did to Skylar.

"Now!" bellowed Ash as he darted out into the open, immediately grabbing the attention of the three Rockets.

He launched Pidgeotto's pokeball at the group of flustered criminals, causing them to shield their eyes from the sudden eruption of bright light.

"Shit!" screamed Nico as the light subsided and Pidgeotto emerged, flapping his wings with vigor.

The massive avian let out a frightening squawk, causing all three of the Rockets to falter backwards in fear.

"Release your pokemon!" yelled Reggie in a state of panic, trying to be heard over Pidgeotto's loud battle cry. "We're under attack!"

"Pidgeotto, Growlithe, Clefairy!" shouted Ash venomously, "take care of whatever pokemon they release! Haunter, use Mean Look on the Rockets! Make sure they can't escape!"

Ash watched as all three of the Rockets tossed out two pokeballs each. When the pokemon were released, he surveyed them carefully.

The young Rocket, Nico, released a raticate and a spearow. At first glance, both of them appeared to be rather unimpressive specimens. His friends wouldn't have a difficult time with either of them.

The overweight Rocket, Fargus, let out an ekans and a beedrill. Both of them looked like they could end up being problematic if they weren't taken care of immediately. Even though they weren't too intimidating, Ash didn't want to have to deal with the potential of them using status moves to weaken his friends, especially since they were outnumbered.

Last but not least, the roughest looking Rocket, Reggie, released a drowzee and a fearow. They were definitely the two most impressive Rocket pokemon. However, Ash wasn't too worried about them. The drowzee could be taken care of quickly by Haunter, and Pidgeotto would fly circles around the fearow. It was nothing compared to Austin's powerful bird of prey.

All of a sudden, Ash's attention was stolen away by Haunter who emerged from his shadow and emitted a ray of dark purple energy into the sky. It settled above them before expanding into what looked like a large sphere of purple gas. The gas then solidified, gradually sculpting itself into a solitary, closed eye.

If Ash hadn't been the one that had summoned it, he would be mortified. Once the eye had become complete, its purple eyelid snapped open, unveiling a dark purple pupil surrounded by a golden yellow iris and a pitch-black sclera. The eye looked at Ash for a split-second before rotating toward the Rockets and leering down at them.

Mean look was complete. The Rockets weren't going anywhere.

"Dammit!" blustered Fargus amidst the battle that was beginning to unfold. "That kid has a friggin' Haunter!"

"And it used Mean Look!" howled Reggie. "If we want to leave, we have to beat this little bastard! We don't have any other choice!"

"That shouldn't be a problem!" hissed Nico. "He's just a little kid! I'll kill him!"

A smirk crossed Ash's face as he registered the Rocket's threat. His pokemon weren't strong enough for Ash to take him seriously.

Ash's line of sight was drawn away from the Rockets when he felt a surge of heat emerge from his left. What he saw put a smile on his face. Growlithe had already barreled over Nico's raticate with Flame Wheel prior to finishing it off with a devastating Bite/Ember combination.

_One down._

Over in the same direction, Clefairy was locked in a battle with Fargus' ekans. She was careful not to get hit by the snake pokemon's repetitive use of Poison Sting as she tried to get in close enough to use one of her physical attacks.

Ash watched as she used Minimize to avoid the purple snake's Bite before winding her fist back and unloading a powerful Pound attack. Once the ekans was knocked off balance, she followed up her Pound with a quick-hitting Double Slap. At this point, Ash pivoted his glance away from Clefairy, she had things under control. He would check on her again in a little bit.

Straight ahead, a one-sided aerial battle was taking place as Pidgeotto was using Agility to toy with Reggie's fearow. If Pidgeotto wanted to, he could end the battle at any moment. However, Ash could tell that he was enjoying himself too much to finish things in a hurry. He hadn't had very many opportunities to battle against other flying-types since leaving Saffron, so regardless of the fearow's mediocrity, Pidgeotto was taking full advantage of the moment.

Ash also noticed that the spearow that Nico had released was grounded and unconscious right below the battle between flying-types. If Ash were to take a guess, he would say that the spearow had tried to interfere in the evolved flying-types' battle, so Pidgeotto had quickly knocked it out while the ten-year-old boy was watching Growlithe and Clefairy.

Whatever the case may be, it didn't really matter to Ash. Both of Nico's pokemon had fallen.

_Two down._

Over to his right, Haunter was taking on Fargus' beedrill and Reggie's drowzee at the same time. Despite the fact that he was outnumbered, Ash wasn't worried. Haunter was a stronger specimen than the drowzee, and he had the type-advantage, whereas the beedrill didn't appear to have any attacks that he would consider effective against a ghost-type.

Ash's eyes lit up when he watched Haunter phase out of the corporeal world for a split-second before reappearing directly in front of the drowzee. In concurrence with Haunter's reappearance, the psychic pokemon's typical weary eyes jolted with consternation right before Haunter used one of his fists to deliver a Sucker Punch straight into the drowzee's mug.

Ash winced as the drowzee let out a jarring cry while being sent flying across the clearing. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the psychic-type was done for. Ash's hypothesis was confirmed when Reggie's drowzee landed limp and lifeless over by where Growlithe had defeated the raticate. It was apparent that it had been knocked into comatose.

_Three down._

In subsequence to the drowzee's defeat, Ash chimed back into the battle between Clefairy and the ekans. A small frown breached Ash's countenance when he noticed a couple of stingers from the ekans' Poison Sting protruding from Clefairy's side.

However, his expression quickly changed as he watched an array of sparkling energy erupt from Clefairy's body, tossing the snake pokemon into a nearby assemblage of shrubbery. The ekans lay battered and unconscious, falling prey to Clefairy's Stored Power.

_Four down._

Now that Clefairy's battle with the ekans had subsided, Ash followed her with his eyes as she briskly skipped back over to him. At the same time, he noticed that Growlithe had already returned to his side. The puppy pokemon was watching attentively as Pidgeotto and Haunter engaged in combat against the remaining two Rocket pokemon.

"Dammit!" cursed Reggie, catching Ash's attention.

He surveyed the Rockets. It was obvious that all three of them were aware of their predicament. Nico was trembling with what looked like a combination of fear and fury, whereas Fargus and Reggie were angry and frustrated. They knew that their defeat was imminent. Ash could see it in their eyes.

"Where the hell did this kid come from!?" blustered Fargus. "He's destroying our pokemon!"

"I don't friggin' know!" hissed Reggie, boiling over with anger, "but if we don't do something soon, we're screwed!"

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" screamed Nico as he pulled on his tattered hair with both of his hands. "What the hell are we going to do!? We're done for!"

Ash watched their expressions turn even uglier when he heard a nasty shrill coming from his right. The dark-haired boy shifted his line of sight over to where he had last seen Haunter. The apparition was currently letting out a discordant array of ghoulish laughter as he blasted the beedrill with a wave of ghostly energy, forcing it to the ground and sending it into a coma.

_Five down._

"What the hell is that!?" bellowed Fargus.

The ten-year-old boy didn't have to think hard to figure out what the Rocket was afraid of. The moment he heard the sound of the wind howling unnaturally above him, he knew what was going on. Leave it to Pidgeotto to use Twin Tempest in a situation like this.

He shook his head and laughed as he looked down at Growlithe and Clefairy. "Someone's having a little too much fun, eh?"

Growlithe and Clefairy both nodded in an exasperated manner as they looked up at the two swirling, purple twisters.

Following Growlithe and Clefairy's lead, Ash shifted his glance toward the sky. Soaring overhead was Pidgeotto who was using his wings to conjure two average-sized tornados.

Ash had seen bigger, so at least his avian was showing a little bit of restraint, although he wouldn't be mad if he didn't. If any pokemon deserved to experience the full might of Pidgeotto's Twin Tempest, it was one of Team Rockets' debased specimens, albeit the pokemon belonging to Ariana's squad were _way_ more corrupt.

Hovering above the ground, directly below Pidgeotto, was Reggie's fearow. Due to its present positioning, Ash wasn't able to see the look of fear in its eyes as it stared up at the two draconically infused cyclones. However, he didn't have a tough time picturing it in his head. He had witnessed enough pokemon tremble before Pidgeotto's Twin Tempest to easily visualize the fearow's mortified countenance.

"Throw it!" bellowed Ash.

Hearing Ash above the sound of the vicious, hissing winds, Pidgeotto thrusted both of his wings downward, releasing the two pillars of destruction.

"Fearow, get out of there!" yelled Reggie as the tempests began to gain momentum.

Ash sighed as the fearow flapped its wings at an expeditious rate, trying its hardest to get out of the way of Pidgeotto's attack. It didn't have a chance. Its demise was inevitable. A pokemon of its level wasn't strong enough to escape the vacuum-like air current that Twin Tempest produced. It would have to be somewhere close to Pidgeotto's level in order to be capable of something like that, and it definitely wasn't.

When the two Twisters collided with Fearow, Ash winced as he heard a momentary shriek. It lasted for a fraction of a second prior to being drowned out by the sound of the raging wind. After touching the ground, the attack stretched on for a couple of seconds before eventually coming to a stop.

Left in its wake was an unconscious fearow. It lay motionless on the ground with its wingspan sprawled out. The flying-type was encompassed by a surplus of feathers that must have been uprooted from its plumage when it was hit by the cyclones.

Ash felt a slight hint of guilt as he stared at the fearow's immobile body.

Even though it was a Rocket pokemon, it was still a pokemon, and there was no way that it had escaped Pidgeotto's Twin Tempest without taking a considerable amount of damage. Ash doubted that it had accumulated any permanent injuries, but he would still let the Celadon Police Department know that one of his pokemon had beaten it up pretty good. That way, it could get the treatment that it needed in order to make a full recovery.

_Six down._

Ash listened to the three Rockets curse amongst themselves as he felt Haunter return to his shadow and watched Pidgeotto land on a patch of dirt next to the Rockets. It was obvious to Ash that Pidgeotto had landed in close proximity to the Rockets in order to intimidate them.

Judging by their trembling appearances, it had worked.

The avian had the king's nature after all. Standing in the presence of such an astonishing beast was overwhelming, especially when you saw what he was capable of in battle. If Ash was in their situation, he would be frightened as well.

...Luckily, he wasn't—

"Hey, kid…" muttered Reggie, catching Ash's attention. "What do you want from us?"

Ash noticed the rugged Rocket's eyes fidgeting like crazy as they anxiously shifted focus between Ash, Pidgeotto and Haunter's Mean Look. The other two Rockets stayed quiet, although Ash could tell that they were just as curious about Ash's motive as Reggie.

"I saw what you guys did to that girl," said Ash, lowering his brow. "I came after you to get her eevee back. She was pretty upset that you took it from her, and there's no way that I am going to let a bunch of scumbags like you get away with something like that."

"I knew we should have killed that little bitch!" hissed Nico, unable to control his animosity.

The other two Rockets ignored him as they wisely continued to focus their attention on Ash

"_Ah, _I see…" drawled Reggie in a contemplative manner as he reached in his pocket and pulled out a standard pokeball, "so this is what you're after."

"Yup," retorted Ash, nodding his head, "that's it."

An amused smile formed on his face as he witnessed all three of the Rockets jolt when Pidgeotto let out a loud, pressuring squawk. Even though the concept of interrogation didn't bode well with him, Ash had to admit, if he were ever in a position in which he absolutely had to get information, Pidgeotto would be the perfect pokemon to have at his side.

"H-how about this then…" stammered Reggie as his eyes darted back and forth between Ash and Pidgeotto, "if you let us go, I'll hand over the eevee—"

"But, Reg!" blurted Fargus. "That eevee is for Petr—"

"Shut it, Fargus!" interrupted Reggie. "We don't have a choice. You saw what that kid did to our pokemon. He's obviously not an ordinary trainer."

Fargus looked like he wanted to say something, but he kept his mouth shut, listening to Reggie.

"I don't really think you're in a position to decide what happens from here on out," inserted Ash adamantly. "I'll be taking the eevee, but I'll also be handing you guys over to the Celadon Police Department. After what you did to Skylar, I can't just let you go free. That wouldn't be right."

"You little shi—!" managed Reggie, taking a compulsive step forward before experiencing a protective outburst from Ash's pokemon.

The Rocket froze in a heartbeat, folding under the pressure of Growlithe's intimidating growl, Clefairy's defensive snarl, Pidgeotto's nefarious squawk and Haunter who had reemerged from Ash's shadow bearing blood-thirsty eyes.

"Kid, I don't think you get it," said Reggie as he tried his best to calm himself down. "I'm trying to do you a favor. "Have you ever heard of an organization called Team Rocket?"

Ash sighed; he could see where this was going.

"Um…yeah," answered the dark-haired boy with a hint of unrest in his voice, "everyone knows about Team Rocket. What's your point?"

"Well, just in case you haven't noticed," said Reggie as he pointed to the red 'R' on his chest, "we're a part of Team Rocket."

"I know…" uttered Ash, scratching the back of his head. "I recognized the black jumpsuits right away. After everything I've been through, grunts like you don't scare me."

All three of the Rockets looked at Ash with incredulous expressions.

"Kid, have you watched the friggin' news lately?!" retorted Reggie, raising his voice. "Haven't you heard about what _we_ did to the SS _Anne _and Saffron!?"

"Well, I'd be lying if I said I've watched the news," answered Ash with a frown, "but I do know what happened. I was there…"

"You were…" started Reggie.

"There…" finished Fargus and Nico.

"I was," answered Ash as he adjusted his cap, "and I don't need you three pricks to remind me about what happened."

He paused as he furrowed his brow, "Anyways, if you're trying to scare me into changing my mind, it's not going to work. I know full well what Team Rocket is capable of, but I also know that your leaders won't bat an eye after losing a few grunts."

Reggie scowled as he listened to Ash's words before focusing his eyes back on the pokeball in his hand. "That might be true, but the same thing can't be said about what's in here. Stealing this eevee was a priority mission given to us by our leader. When he finds out that we failed to retain it, he's going to go after it again."

"That may be true," said Ash, "but it doesn't change the fact that it doesn't belong to you. That eevee is Skylar's, so I'm going to return it to her no matter what. At the moment, whatever happens after that is irrelevant to me. I'll worry about it later."

Reggie cursed under his breath as he processed Ash's words. "Shit…I _hate_ righteous bastards like you."

Ash smirked.

"And I _hate_ evil pricks like you."

He glanced down at Haunter. He'd had enough of this, "Haunter, use Hypnosis. Make sure that they don't wake up for a while."

All three of the Rockets took a couple of steps backward before being enveloped in a shroud of ghostly energy. At the same time, Ash noticed that the large, purple eye floating above them was also cloaked in the same shadowy energy. Apparently, a couple of steps was all that Haunter's Mean Look was willing to allow before triggering and stopping them in their tracks.

Subsequently, Haunter let out a burst of cacophonous laughter as he wriggled his fingers, emitting a cluster of bright purple energy. The hypnotic rays drifted across the clearing in the direction of the Rockets, causing their bodies to tremble with terror. Up until the very last second, Ash could see the look of fear in their eyes as the Hypnosis approached them.

When Hypnosis made contact, the Rockets went limp before falling heedlessly to the ground. Ash winced as he heard the thumping sound of their unconscious bodies hit the earth's surface.

"Well, I guess that's that," said Ash to his friends before walking over to Reggie's sleeping body and picking up the lone pokeball that lay next to him.

"It's time I got you back to your trainer," said Ash, directing his words toward the capture-device.

Using his xtransceiver, he called the number to the Celadon Police Department. There was no way that he would be able to get all three of the Rockets to Celadon without help. After all, he was still about a half day's walk from the city. They would need to send a psychic-type with Teleport in order to move all of them at once.

He had a feeling that they would be upset that he went after Team Rocket on his own, but they would get over it when they found out that he had recovered Skylar's eevee.

If he wouldn't have acted, her eevee would have been lost to Team Rocket.

"_Ring…"_

"_Ring…"_

"_Ring…"_

"_Click."_

XXX

"I'm not going to sit here and tell you that what you did wasn't helpful," said Officer Jenny as she leant back in her swivel chair, "but I have no problem saying that what you did was stupid. I remember specifically telling you when we picked up Ms. Worthington to leave the rest to us."

She paused as she let out a deep sigh, "I knew something was off when you didn't accept our offer to teleport you straight to the Pokemon Center."

Ash had to admit, when he made the call about Skylar, he hadn't expected the Chief Jenny of the Celadon Police Department to show up. Moreover, until just a few moments ago, he had no idea that Skylar was the daughter of some big-shot eevee breeder in Celadon.

Apparently, the police had been searching for Skylar for a couple of days before Ash found her. She was the youngest daughter of Ruphus Worthington: one of the richest men in all of Celadon. Ash had never heard of him before now, but according to Officer Jenny, his name was well-known throughout all of Kanto.

In addition to the fact that Skylar was the daughter of a famous breeder, Ash was also surprised to find out that she wasn't a legitimate pokemon trainer. Despite all of the trainer gear that he had found at her ruined campsite, she was just a girl that had ran away from home because her family was overprotective, and she wanted to see the world.

When she ran away, she took the only offspring of her family's two most impressive and acclaimed eevee with her, hoping that she could raise it to become her starter.

Ash figured that the moment Team Rocket found out that she had gone missing, they made her their target, strategically using the unusual circumstances as an opportunity to steal a rare pokemon with extraordinary genes…

"Maybe it was stupid," retorted Ash in a serious manner, "but if I hadn't done what I did, Team Rocket would have gotten away with that eevee. There's no way that I was going to sit back and let that happen."

"Do you honestly believe that?" questioned Jenny, folding her arms.

She shifted her line of sight over to Growlithe who sat loyally by his trainer's side before giving Ash a dirty look, "He's a fine looking pup, kid, but you're not the only person with a Growlithe. We would have tracked them down eventually."

"…Eventually would have been too late," replied Ash with a frown as he surveyed Officer Jenny's tidy desk.

It reminded him a lot of his favorite Officer Jenny's desk. Other than a chrome nameplate, the only other thing sitting on top of it was a framed photograph, consisting of the same family picture that he had seen resting on top of the other Jenny's desk.

The rest of her office was nearly identical to his favorite Jenny's as well. It was a lot bigger, probably due to the fact that she was stationed in a major city. However, there were minimal pieces of décor, and overall it had the same businesslike feel.

Ash had to admit, sitting across from Officer Jenny felt nostalgic. When they first started talking, he half expected her to tell him a heartfelt story about a squirtle that had been abandoned by his trainer, causing him to hate humans and take out his deeply suppressed anger on the citizens of the town that he had been deserted in…

"What do you mean?" asked Jenny as she rested her elbows on her desk.

"I listened in on a conversation they were having before I attacked them," said Ash as he reached down and softly ran his fingers through Growlithe's tuft. "They were about to take Skylar's eevee back to their base. Apparently, they were under strict orders to get it back to their leader as soon as possible."

Jenny's eyebrows raised as she appeared to be intrigued about something he had said.

"Did you happen to catch their leader's name?" queried Jenny, folding her hands.

"I did," said Ash with a smirk as he sat up in his chair, triggering an expression out of Jenny that portrayed that she was interested.

He paused as he quickly thought over how much he should share.

"How much do you know about Team Rocket's structure and ranks?" questioned Ash, taking control of the conversation.

Jenny's eyes widened. It was evident that she was shocked by Ash's question.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," repeated Jenny in a serious manner. "This conversation just took a strange turn. Who the hell are you? And why do I get the feeling that you know more about Team Rocket than I do?"

"I'm not some secret League agent if that's what you're thinking," said Ash in between laughter. "I'm just a pokemon trainer that's had an _extremely _interesting first year."

Ash paused as Jenny breathed a large sigh of relief. He was under the impression that she had just had a moment of apprehension. She probably thought he was some sort of League inspector, checking to see if the Celadon Police Department was running smoothly.

"Anyways, how much do you know about Team Rocket?" asked Ash. "What has the League revealed to the Kanto Police?"

She sat back in her chair as she took a moment to think, "Why should I discuss Rocket related matters with a kid? If you're not a part of the League, how do you know so much?"

Ash shrugged. He didn't mind sharing a little bit about what he had been through over the past couple of months. Granted, he wouldn't tell Jenny that much, just enough to push the conversation in the direction that he wanted it to go.

"I was in Saffron when everything with Team Rocket went down," said Ash. "I learned a lot about them while I was there."

"Oh…" drawled Jenny with a frown, "I understand. I'm sorry to hear that. A kid your age should never be exposed to a catastrophe like that one."

"It is what it is," retorted Ash with a straight face.

There was a moment of silence as Jenny appeared to be deciding whether or not to trust him.

"To answer your question from earlier," said Jenny, electing to at least temporarily comply with Ash. "The Kanto Police learns more about Team Rocket every day. At the moment, I'm aware that the Boss and his/her executives are the members that we really need to worry about. There are a multitude of lesser ranks, but the League typically just refers to them as grunts."

"Sounds about right," answered Ash with a slight nod. "The reason why I asked you that was because I wanted you to understand _exactly _what kind of leader the group of Rockets that I dealt with was talking about."

"And...?"

"They called him Executive Petrel," spat Ash with a scowl. "According to one of the Rockets, he leads an entire division of grunts. I witnessed the strength of an executive while I was in Saffron. They're nothing like grunts. Their Pokemon are way more corrupt, and they are formidable enough to go toe-to-toe with most gym leaders' _true_ teams."

The moment Ash said the name Petrel, Officer Jenny's countenance changed. It went from intrigued to appalled in the blink of an eye.

"P-petrel," stammered Jenny, "D-did you say Petrel?"

Ash nodded his head. It was apparent that Officer Jenny was familiar with the name.

"I knew something was weird about that guy," said Jenny, "but never in a million years would I have guessed that he was a Team Rocket executive."

"What are you talking about?" asked Ash in a curious manner. "How do you know him?"

"I've known Petrel for a while," replied Officer Jenny with a sour expression on her face. "He's been the manager over at the Game Corner for nearly five years. Ever since he took over, the place has been just as big of an attraction as the Department Store."

She paused as she placed her hand on her forehead, clearly frustrated, "However, since he's been here, the crime rate in Celadon has skyrocketed. For the longest time, I thought it was just a coincidence, but lately there's been some really strange activity throughout the city, especially within the Game Corner."

"Like what?" asked Ash as he leaned forward in his chair.

"All kinds of bizarre stuff," said Officer Jenny exasperatedly. "There's been rumors that League money has been laundered by the Game Corner. Petrel has been raffling off incredibly rare pokemon and items. The workers have become more aggressive. And, a lot of pokemon trainers have reported their pokemon having been stolen in the area."

She shook her head, "I've been trying to get a search warrant for months, but the League has yet to issue me one."

"Well, what do you have to do to get one?" asked Ash impatiently, "because there's a good chance that there is a Team Rocket hideout somewhere in the Game Corner. After listening to everything that you just told me, it makes perfect sense."

"Dammit," cursed Officer Jenny under her breath, "it does, doesn't it?"

She paused as she cleared her throat, "In order to get a search warrant, we would need a League Official with the authority of a Gym Leader or higher to give us approval to do an official investigation."

"That doesn't sound that difficult," said Ash. "Why don't you just ask for Erika's approval?"

She let out a sigh that oozed annoyance.

"Trust me, I've tried," groaned Officer Jenny, "but Erika thinks I'm just being paranoid. You see, the Game Corner's staggering success brings in a lot of revenue for the city. Much like the Celadon Department Store, the city relies a lot on the tourists that the Game Corner brings in. No matter how corrupt Petrel is, there's no denying that since he started running the Game Corner, we've seen a massive boost in our economy."

"Okay…" drawled Ash, "but what does all of that have to do with getting a search warrant."

"Well," replied Officer Jenny with a sigh, "our _beloved _gym leader thinks that searching the Game Corner would be stepping on Petrel's toes. And if we don't find anything, not only will it be embarrassing for Celadon as a whole, but it will tarnish her reputation."

She took a breath, "Also, she thinks that it could destroy the city's relationship with Petrel, which would make the issues in Celadon even worse. If you ask me, I'd say she's just being a coward, but it's not like what I think matters in this situation. I don't have the power to override a gym leader's jurisdiction."

"What about another gym leader?" queried Ash, "have you asked anyone else?"

"I've tried talking to a couple other gym leaders," retorted Jenny, "but I didn't have any luck. The Waterflower sisters in Cerulean didn't feel comfortable opposing Erika. Apparently, there's some bad blood between the Waterflower and Mori families."

She paused, "Koga, from Fuchsia, didn't feel like getting involved. Ever since he got destroyed by J.R. Tanner, and missed out on his opportunity to become a part of the Elite Four, Koga's been a real hard-ass. Apparently, it's gotten so bad that nobody's been able to get his badge all season. There's been rumors that he has gone as far as using everstones on his League registered team in order to cheat the system."

Ash gulped; he had been planning on going to Fuchsia after Celadon for a while now. However, if what Officer Jenny said was true, maybe he would have to rethink things. Koga was dangerous enough with a level head. Ash could only imagine what it was like battling him when he was vexed—

Ash shook himself free of his wandering thoughts. He could worry about Koga later. Right now, he was having an important conversation about Team Rocket.

"I've tried calling Blaine on Cinnabar Island multiple times," continued Jenny, "but nobody's answered. And don't even get me started with Giovanni from Viridian. That guy told me that if I ever ask him to belittle another gym leader's authority again, he would make sure that I was stripped of my badge. I swear, there's something wrong with that man. If the word prick had a picture next to it in the dictionary, it would be a portrait of his face."

Ash disregarded Jenny's rant, regarding all of the gym leaders that had chosen not to comply with her request, when an easy solution popped into his head.

"What about Sabrina?" asked Ash with a small smile on his face, "have you tried calling the Saffron Gym?"

"I thought about it," Officer Jenny retorted with a frown, "but I chose not to. I've heard rumors from legitimate sources that Sabrina doesn't deal with issues outside of her jurisdiction, so I figured it would be a waste of time. Besides, I feel like she has her hands full right now cleaning up the mess that Team Rocket made in Saffron."

"Fair enough…" drawled Ash, still smiling. "Under normal circumstances, I would completely agree with you. But, when Team Rocket kidnapped Robert Montgomery and attacked Saffron, they declared war on _all _of Kanto. Even Sabrina is able to see that. She'll issue us a search warrant, I promise."

"You sound pretty confident, kid," said Officer Jenny in a skeptical manner. "What makes you so sure?"

"Sabrina may be a bit odd," retorted Ash matter-of-factly, "but she's not the monster that everyone makes her out to be. I guarantee you that she'll help us out. We just have to ask nicely."

"I never said she was a monster," replied Officer Jenny. "What I said is that her priority is Saffron, and she doesn't have much interest in the rest of Kanto. Why are you so adamant about asking Sabrina, anyways? Do you know her or something?"

"I do," answered Ash with a smirk. "As a matter of fact, we're good friends."

"Friends…" muttered Officer Jenny, obviously surprised, "with Sabrina Marvil, really?"

Yeah," said Ash, facetiously, unsurprised by her response, "Believe it or not, I'm _friends_ with Sabrina Marvil."

He paused for a second to let her soak it in.

"Anyways, even if Sabrina didn't feel like helping us for the sake of Celadon," said Ash as he scratched Growlithe behind the ears, "I have confidence that I could at least convince her to hook you up with a warrant."

Ash watched Jenny physically shake off the surprised look on her face before she responded.

"If that's the case," said Jenny, "go ahead and give her a call. I guess, we have nothing to lose."

"I will," answered Ash with a nod, "but before I do that, I want to go see Skylar at the Pokemon Center. If you don't mind, I'd like to deliver eevee's pokeball to her myself. I don't know why, but something is telling me that I should."

Officer Jenny hesitated for a second before reaching into her pocket and pulling out Eevee's standard pokeball.

"Typically, I wouldn't allow something like this," said Jenny as she let out a sigh and handed the pokeball over to Ash, "but I guess I can make an exception just this once. Even though it was stupid for you to go after Team Rocket by yourself, I can't deny the fact that you have helped us out quite a bit."

She paused for a second as her eyes glanced over at the black, analog clock on the wall, "Besides, those Rockets should be waking up from Hypnosis pretty soon. I'll let you take care of things at the Pokemon Center, and do whatever else there is that you need to do, while I go ask the Rockets some questions. How about you come back again tomorrow around the same time?"

"Are you sure?" queried Ash. "If the Pokemon Center's nearby, I shouldn't be too long. I could probably be back later today if you want."

"There's no need," said Jenny, dismissing Ash with the wave of her hand. "We're not in a rush. I highly doubt that Petrel will do anything drastic within the next twenty-four hours. Go deliver that eevee to Ms. Worthington. When you finish up at the Pokemon Center, go check out the city. Despite all of the crap that we just talked about, Celadon truly is a phenomenal city."

She flashed Ash an outstretched grin, "They don't call it 'The City of Rainbow Colors' for nothing."

Ash nodded before reciprocating her smile.

"You're right," said Ash as he shifted his attention toward Growlithe, who had been rather quiet ever since they entered Jenny's office. "Are you ready for a trip to the Pokemon Center, bud?"

Growlithe let out an affirmative yip as his countenance immediately brightened up.

Ash had a feeling that the reason for Growlithe's quietness was related to fatigue. He'd been busy during their trip to Celadon. Between the battle against the three grunts, Willow's test, his intensive training, and the grind of being on the road for nearly two weeks, it only made sense that he would be exhausted.

Just because the trip to Celadon had provided them with some much needed mental rest, didn't mean that it hadn't been physically exhausting.

"Alrighty then," said Ash as he stood up from his seat and placed the eevee's pokeball in his coat pocket, "I'll be on my way then."

"See you tomorrow, kid," answered Officer Jenny, standing up from her chair in order to shake Ash's hand. "Thanks again."

"Don't mention it," retorted Ash.

After shaking Jenny's hand and uttering another goodbye, Ash locked eyes with his pup.

"Come on, Growlithe. Let's go."

XXX

The trip to the Pokemon Center was short and enjoyable.

On account of all of the chaos that had ensued earlier in the day, Ash hadn't really gotten an opportunity to soak in the beautiful, sunny weather. Moreover, although he had only gotten a chance to see a small section of Celadon's northeastern district, Ash had already come to the conclusion that it was a pleasant place.

It was busy, but the people were friendly, and Ash thought that the scenery was absolutely gorgeous. It wasn't quite as alluring as Cerulean which in Ash's opinion was still the most captivating city he had been to. However, after taking into account its size and unmatched population, its artistry was rather impressive.

The architecture that he had walked by was grand, modern and intricate, whereas the streets were immaculate and well designed. Obviously, during his short walk, he had only seen a minimal portion of the city. But, based off of his first impression, he could see why so many people chose to live in Celadon.

Everywhere he looked, Ash saw fun, entertaining things to do. On just about every block, there was an enthralling park that was full to the brim with lush greenery, and although they weren't in the heart of Celadon, there were tons of interesting shops and appetizing restaurants.

Unlike Saffron, the traffic in the streets was well managed. At no point did Ash ever feel overwhelmed, which said a lot. He liked cities, but often times their immensity and bustling atmosphere got the best of him.

Celadon was different, though. Even Growlithe seemed to be relaxed. Granted, his social anxiety wasn't what it used to be, but just because his angst had diminished didn't mean that he was comfortable in large cities with heavy populations.

The city's appeal and Growlithe's composed disposition almost made Ash forget that Team Rocket operated within the city's shadows.

The looming thought of Team Rocket's presence in the city left a part of him unsettled. He didn't quite know how to explain it. It kind of felt like a good dream that he knew was going to abruptly end in the near future. Ash had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that his outlook on Celadon was going to eventually take a turn for the worst. It was just a matter of time…

Anyhow, now that Ash and Growlithe had reached the Pokemon Center, the dark-haired boy's nerves had started to kick in. He wasn't quite sure what kind of scene he would be walking into. At this point, he was sure that Skylar's family had been notified that the Police Department had found her, so it was highly likely that there was a dramatic spectacle unfolding in the Medical Wing.

Ash had spent enough time at the pokemon center in Saffron – after the devastating battle against Team Rocket – to know that a pokemon center's medical wing was a place where emotions flew high. Of course, a lot more people were affected by the events in Saffron, so he doubted that Celadon's medical wing would be _that _crazy. Nevertheless, a sliver of him couldn't help but be apprehensive.

Before Ash entered Celadon's pokemon center, he couldn't help but file through his memory bank and compare it to the other centers that he had been to. It had become a habit of his ever since his journey had begun. Pokemon centers were one of the few constants that every major city in Kanto shared. In Ash's opinion, the unique variances in each centers' appearance said a lot about the city that they were in.

"What do you think?" Ash asked Growlithe as he surveyed the Center's exterior. "It kind of reminds me of the pokemon center in Saffron, only _way _bigger."

Growlithe nodded as his eyes pivoted back and forth, examining the Pokemon Center's humongous size.

Ash wasn't in the least bit shocked by how big Celadon's pokemon center was. It made perfect sense. They were in Celadon: the most populous city in all of Kanto. It was inevitable that the Pokemon Center was abnormally large. It had to be in order to accommodate for the vast amount of people that filtered in and out of it.

Still, although he had expected something of the sort, it didn't change the fact that it was impressive. In terms of size, the rest of the centers he had visited paled in comparison. Ash couldn't even begin to estimate how much money it must have costed the city to build a pokemon center as large as Celadon's.

As he approached one of the multiple sets of large, glass, automatic doors, Ash examined some of the Center's finer external details.

Its design was fairly similar to the pokemon center in Saffron. It was modern and built in the shape of an oversized cube. The two most notable features were its large pink roof that staggered upward into what looked like an artificial plateau and the plethora of large, gleaming windows that wrapped around the whole building.

Overall, its design wasn't anything out of the ordinary. If it weren't for the Center's gargantuan size, Ash wouldn't have spent nearly as much time looking it over. Once he was finished checking out the outside of the Center, Ash passed through the automated doors and into the building.

Upon entrance, he was excited to find that the Center wasn't that busy. Based off of its size and the city's population, he was expecting it to be a madhouse. Luckily, it wasn't. Maybe he had just shown up at a good time.

Even though it wasn't as busy as he had expected, it was by no means empty. There were still plenty of trainers scattered about the lobby, using the Center's standard, assorted amenities.

He saw a large group of trainers hanging out in the lounge, watching something on the large flat-screen TV that was suspended on the wall in front of them. There was another heap of people using the PC's over to the left of the front desk, while there was a small group of trainers utilizing the video phones on the right side of the front desk.

As he ambulated over to the Center's front desk, Growlithe following him at his hip, one of the things that stood out to Ash the most were the multiple, large directional signs that hung from the ceiling, guiding visitors to the different parts of the Center that they needed to get to. It wasn't unusual for pokemon centers to use a system such as cascading signs to direct traffic, but the sheer abundance of them is what caught Ash's attention.

Excluding the medical wing, most pokemon centers had maybe three or four wings that were freely accessible to all visiting trainers. Those wings didn't tend to differ too much.

All pokemon centers were required to have a cafeteria wing, a trading wing and a lodging wing. Sometimes, depending on the city, a pokemon center could have a recreational wing – full of games, movies and other fun things for trainers to do during their free time – or a fitness wing, where trainers could use state of the art equipment to exercise.

However, from what Ash could tell by surveying all of the Center's signs, there were at least twice as many wings as usual, branching off from the main lobby.

There were two of everything. Ash saw two signs that led the way to two different cafeteria wings—one labeled Cafeteria A and one labeled Cafeteria B. Likewise, there were two lodging wings and two trading wings. Surprisingly, there were even two recreational wings and two fitness wings.

In Ash's opinion, it was overkill. Despite Celadon's enormous population, Ash had a tough time believing that it was necessary for the Pokemon Center to have duplicate wings. He could maybe justify the need for two lodging wings and two cafeteria wings when things were really busy, but two recreational wings, well...that just seemed like a waste.

"I feel like I'm at a resort," said Ash to Growlithe as they got in back of the short line to see Celadon's Nurse Joy. "It kind of reminds me of a less fancy SS _Anne."_

The puppy pokemon let out a quiet, affirmative bark as he looked up at Ash with agreeable eyes.

It only took about five minutes for Ash to get through the line to the front desk. Waiting for him was a smiling Nurse Joy and a couple of chansey who looked at him with welcoming expressions on their faces.

"Welcome," said Nurse Joy in a soft, sweet tone of voice. "How may I help you?"

"I've got to deliver something to one of your patients," retorted Ash with a friendly smile as he reached into his back pocket, grabbing his pokedex before placing it on the counter. "Also, I need a room, and I have a couple of pokemon that I would like to have treated by a restoration machine."

"What's the patient's name?" asked Nurse Joy as she took his pokedex and placed it in the dock that was connected to the front desk's computer.

"Skylar Worthington," answered Ash as he sifted through the pokeballs on his belt, trying to decide who needed medical attention.

"_Ah, _yes_, _Ash Ketchum…" drawled Nurse Joy, using the keyboard to type something into the computer, "I've been expecting you."

"You have?" asked Ash in a curious manner.

"_Mhm…" _answered Joy as she reached into a drawer and removed a room key, "the Chief Jenny at the police department called the Center to let us know that you would be coming. Ms. Worthington's hospital room is being guarded by security, so Officer Jenny had to ask permission to let you in."

"Oh, okay," said Ash, nodding his head, "that makes sense. I figured that the Center would provide security after what happened."

"Yup," replied Joy with a smile. "By the way, Officer Jenny told me what you did. It was _really_ stupid…but brave. Thank you, Kanto's had enough tragedies as of late. If it weren't for you, Ms. Worthington may have lost her life. Her injuries were brutal. If you wouldn't have found her when you did—"

"It was nothing," said Ash, cutting her off. "I just did what I though was right."

He didn't want to hear her finish. Death wasn't something that he liked to talk about, especially as of late. For a kid his age, he had been exposed to way too much of it.

Most ten-year-olds were under the assumption that they were immortal. Death was a concept that they were so far removed from that it almost didn't seem real.

That wasn't the case for Ash, though. To him, death was a very _real_ thing. Sid, Reid, Jack...Chance Chapman—all names of people he had once known whose lives were snatched away from them like it was nothing.

"Is something wrong?" asked Nurse Joy. "Did I say something that bothered you? You look a little flushed."

"Oh, no, I'm fine," lied Ash as he detached Ivysaur, Pidgeotto and Clefairy's pokeballs from his belt and handed them over. "Anyways, I'm going to check in these three and..."

He paused as he removed Growlithe's empty pokeball from his belt before shifting his attention towards his pup, "I'm going to check you in as well. I think it would be good for you, since you've been so tired today."

Growlithe hesitated for a second before nodding. Even though he liked the pokemon centers' restoration machines, he was never a fan of leaving Ash's side. Ash knew it; he could see the reluctance in his eyes.

"Don't worry," said Ash with a smile. "It won't be long. Besides, I'll still have Haunter, Wartortle and Charmeleon with me. They'll look out for me while you're gone."

Growlithe seemed to relax a bit right before Ash returned him. The dark-haired boy had to admit, Growlithe's loyalty was always reassuring. He couldn't explain how nice it was to have a friend that was so hell-bent on being there to protect him.

"_Aww…" _drawled Nurse Joy, "that was adorable. What a loyal Growlithe, I can tell you take good care of him."

"Thanks," said Ash as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head prior to handing Growlithe's pokeball over to Nurse Joy.

Ash watched as Nurse Joy took the four pokeballs that he had given her and placed them in a metal tray with six slots—enough for a full team. Once they were all secure, she handed them over to one of the two assistant chansey who smiled before shuffling through the door to the Medical Wing.

The second Ash took his eyes off of the chansey and focused them back on Nurse Joy, she placed the room key on the counter.

"Here's the key to your room," said Nurse Joy with a smile. "Your room number is A53."

She paused as she gestured toward the other chansey, "Now that we have taken care of all of that, I'll have Lucky take you back to see Ms. Worthington."

"Okay, sounds good," said Ash, walking around the front desk in preparation to follow the jolly looking chansey named Lucky.

"I'll buzz security to let them know that you're here," added Jenny as she reached for the phone on her desk. "Lead the way, Lucky."

Lucky flashed Ash a pleasant grin before turning around and heading straight through the door to the Medical Wing.

Ash let out an exasperated sigh before whispering something under his breath.

"Well, this should be interesting."

And on that note, he followed Lucky.

XXX

"Words cannot describe how thankful I am for what you did!" exclaimed the blonde, thin, elegantly dressed woman as she wrapped Ash up in a suffocating hug.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that the woman was Skylar's mother. Despite the fact that Skylar's face had been swollen and bruised when Ash had found her, he could still make out several of her features. Her face was cute and delicate. Even with all of the injuries that she had sustained, he could tell that she was a gorgeous girl.

The woman that was embracing him looked acutely similar to Skylar. Not only were their facial features comparable, but she had the same long, blonde hair that Skylar had. Furthermore, their eyes were the same color: sky-blue. Even though Skylar's eyes had only been open for a little while, he remembered them clearly.

How could he forget? The look of fear in her eyes when he approached her sent shivers down his spine. To think that someone could impose that kind of despair in another human-being was abominable.

"Y-you're welcome," managed Ash, trying his best to get the words out while being squeezed to death.

The woman's embrace reminded him of his mother's hugs. It was comforting, but at the same time excruciatingly painful. Now, he wouldn't quite say that Skylar's mom's hug was quite as agonizing as his mother's. When his mom hugged him, he felt like his ribs were going to cave in and his lungs were going to implode, whereas Skylar's mom just made it difficult to breathe.

"Honey, you're crushing the poor boy," said a smooth, cultured, male voice that Ash assumed belonged to Skylar's father. "Please, let go of him. He's turning pale."

"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Skylar's mother as she frantically let go of Ash and placed both of her hands on her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Ash! I guess I just got carried away."

After taking a moment to catch his breath, Ash observed his surroundings. Now that she had pulled away from him, he was able to see the tears in her eyes as they cascaded down her face, smearing her makeup. He couldn't tell if they were tears of joy or tears of relief. Most likely, they were a combination of both.

Whatever the case may be, it warmed Ash's heart. He couldn't imagine the kind of stress and apprehension she had been experiencing while her daughter was missing. He filled his own mother's head with worry felt thoughts every day, and she knew that he was on a journey with pokemon to protect him. Skylar's mother hadn't known where she was. For all she knew, her daughter could have been—

He shook his mind free of his current train of thought. After the past couple of months, his psyche had darkened. He needed to stop thinking such morbid thoughts. It was beginning to take a toll on him.

Ash's eyes shifted from Skylar's mother to the man – Ash assumed to be her father – when he put his arm around her. Ash could see a slight glimmer in his eyes as well. If he were to guess, he would say that the man was trying his best to hold back tears of his own.

After taking in the man's appearance, Ash could see some similarities between Skylar and him. They had the same short, thin nose, and their slender, arching eyebrows were nearly identical. Ash had to say, he was rather feminine looking. His light-brown hair was just as long as his wife's, and his physique was dainty.

He wore a charcoal grey sweater-vest over a lavender, long-sleeved button up shirt. The man had on long, black pants that were _way_ too tight on him, and his shoes were derby-style and made out brown leather. Overall, Ash thought he was well-dressed, coming off as wealthy and eccentric. The man kind of reminded Ash of Bill or maybe even Wallace…

While looking around the room, Ash also saw Skylar who was sleeping in a hospital bed behind her parents. From what he could tell, it looked like the medical staff had already treated her external wounds. Her skin was void of any cuts or bruises, and there was minimal scarring.

The medical staff must have used some kind of concoction like the one his favorite Nurse Joy had used on him when he burned his hand. Since scarring had already occurred, her healing must have been accelerated at a tremendous rate. Unless the scars were from a set of previous injuries, which Ash doubted...

"She still hasn't woken up," said the man as he shifted his glance between Ash and Skylar. "The doctors think that she'll sleep through the rest of the day. Her injuries were serious, and the potion they used put a significant strain on her body. If you've come here to speak with her, I'm afraid it'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"Oh, alright…" said Ash with a nod, "that's fine. I'll be staying at the Pokemon Center while I'm in Celadon, so I can stop by later."

"We're both happy that you came, though," retorted the woman as she flashed Ash a massive grin while wiping the tears from her eyes. "Nurse Joy told us the story about how you found her. What you did for Skylar…well, let's just say that we owe you. You've been a miracle to our family."

At this point, he was absolutely positive that the man and woman in front of him were Skylar's parents. There was no need to ask for clarification.

"Thanks," said Ash, turning red from the praise, "but you don't owe me anything. Any decent person would have done what I did."

"Any decent person may have tried to help," said Skylar's dad as he grasped Ash's shoulder, "but there is no guarantee that they would have known what to do. No matter how modest you are, the truth of the matter is, you saved my daughter. And for that, my wife and I are in your debt."

"No, honestly," replied Ash, "it's not that big of a dea—"

"Oh, hush!" blustered Skylar's mom, smiling from cheek to cheek. "My husband is right, no matter how you view what you did. It doesn't change how we feel about it."

She paused as she grabbed Ash's hand and held it in her own, "Now, please, let us introduce ourselves."

While holding Ash's hand, she used her free hand to gesture toward her husband, "This is my husband and Skylar's father: Ruphus."

"Nice to meet you," muttered Ash as Skylar's mother awkwardly joined Ash's hand with her husband's."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Ash," said Ruphus with a knowing smirk before setting his eyes on his wife. "Now, honey, I'm sure Ash is more than capable of shaking hands on his own."

It was apparent to Ash that Ruphus was well aware of his wife's outlandish and perky personality.

Much like how she had responded when Ruphus pointed out that she was suffocating him with her embrace, Skylar's mother immediately let go of Ash's hands before placing both of her hands on her cheeks, clearly embarrassed.

"Oh, Ash, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "I've gotten carried away again! My apologies!"

"It's okay," retorted Ash, trying hard not to laugh. "Don't worry about."

"My goodness, you are such a sweet boy," said Skylar's mom with a hint of giddiness in her voice. "Anyways, my name's Ellen. I'm Skylar's mother and Rufus' wife."

"It's nice to meet you, Ellen," said Ash as he reached out and shook her hand.

"The pleasure is all mine, Ash," replied Ellen with another heartfelt smile.

"So, Ash…" said Ruphus in a curious tone of voice, catching the dark-haired boy's attention, "did you come here just to see how Skylar was doing, or is there something else?"

"There's one other thing," retorted Ash with a nod as he reached into his coat pocket in order to retrieve the eevee's pokeball. "I was planning on giving this back to Skylar, but since she's resting, I'll just give it to you."

He paused as he took out the pokeball, "Officer Jenny told me that it belongs to you anyways. When I first found Skylar, I thought that she was a pokemon trainer, so I was under the impression that it was hers. Officer Jenny corrected me, though. She said Skylar was just pretending to be a trainer and that she was actually the daughter of a famous eevee breeder. That's you, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," retorted Ruphus with wide eyes as he slowly took Eevee's pokeball from Ash's hand. "Is this...?"

"Yeah," said Ash with a smile, "it is."

"But, how?" questioned Ruphus in a confused manner. "Nurse Joy told us that the Police Department had yet to go after the people that attacked my daughter and stole the newborn."

"Wait a second Ruphus!" interrupted Ellen. "Is that _her_ pokeball!?"

Ruphus nodded to his wife before placing his eyes back on Ash.

"I can't believe this," said Ruphus—tears welling up in his eyes. "We were lucky enough to get Skylar back, but this…well, it's unbelievable."

"Oh…" drawled Ash, surprised, "I take it Nurse Joy hasn't filled you in on what happened after the Celadon Police recovered your daughter?"

"She hasn't," answered Ruphus, sniffling throughout the process. "Last we heard, Officer Jenny was preparing to send out a search unit to track down whoever hurt Skylar."

"I see," replied Ash with a small smile, "well, I guess that makes sense. I don't think Nurse Joy found out that I got your eevee back until recently, and it's possible that Officer Jenny told her not to say anything until I got to the Pokemon Center."

"Hold on a second…" muttered Ruphus. "Did you just say that _you_ got Eevee back?"

"Well, yeah," said Ash in between blinks, "that's why I have it. When I found Skylar, she was still barely conscious. While I was trying to help her, she mumbled something about an eevee, so I figured that whoever attacked her must have taken one from her."

He paused before realizing that Ruphus and Ellen wanted to hear the rest of the story, "I waited with your daughter until Officer Jenny showed up with a group of paramedics and a few other policemen in order to pick Skylar up. Once they teleported her to the Pokemon Center, I had my Growlithe pick up the scent of the people that attacked Skylar, and we followed it."

"Then what happened!?" asked Ellen.

"Well," said Ash with a scowl as he pictured what happened next, "it turned out that the people that attacked your daughter were from Team Rocket."

"Team Rocket!" exclaimed Ruphus and Ellen at the same time.

"_Shh!"_ shushed Ash, pressing a lone finger up against his lips. "I'm not sure if I was supposed to tell you that."

"Oh-" blurted Ellen before covering her mouth with both of her hands.

"I understand," retorted Ruphus, folding his arms in a contemplative manner.

Ash had to admit, he was getting a kick out of Skylar's parents. The way that they interacted with him and each other was entertaining. They were like two little kids in adult bodies. In a way, their behavior and mannerisms reminded him of the Montgomery family.

"Anyways," continued Ash, "once I found them, I defeated all of their pokemon with mine and had my haunter put them to sleep. I took back your eevee's pokeball and called the Celadon Police Department so that they could take the Rockets into custody. Officer Jenny was a bit irritated that I handled things on my own, but she got over it."

"Wow…" retorted Ruphus, "I don't know what to say."

"How about thank you," quipped Ellen before wrapping Ash up in another dreadfully painful hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, you're our little hero."

"Honey, you're doing it again," said Ruphus as he tried to pull his wife off of Ash. "He can't breathe."

Once again, Ellen let go of Ash and instantly put her hands on her cheeks. "Goodness! What has gotten into me?! I'm so sorry, Ash!"

"I-it's okay," stammered Ash, taking a big breath in order to recover. "I'm used to it. My mom does the same thing."

"Oh, I'm sure she does," said Ellen with a smile, forgiving herself in the blink of an eye. "We mothers have a lot in common, especially when it comes to showing affection for our children."

"I can definitely see the truth in that," replied Ash with a laugh.

All of a sudden, his countenance flopped when a serious thought crossed his mind: Executive Petrel. He needed to warn them. He needed to let them know that a Rocket executive wanted the eevee that they were so happy to get back. Skylar's assault wasn't a random act of violence. It was planned in hope of capturing the genetically gifted specimen.

"Is something wrong, Ash?" asked Ruphus, raising an eyebrow. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"Um…yeah," muttered Ash, trying to find the right words to convey his thoughts, "When I was battling against Team Rocket, one of the guys that hurt Skylar said something that bothered me."

"What did he say?" asked Ruphus with an edge in his voice.

"He said that they were sent by their leader to steal your eevee," retorted Ash with a frown as he pointed at Eevee's pokeball which was in Ruphus' hand. "A Team Rocket executive wants that eevee, and his men were willing to beat your daughter to within an inch of her life to get it. I can't be sure, but I think there's a good chance that they'll go after it again."

For the first time, Ash saw anger on Ruphus' face. He wasn't sure if it was triggered by his paternal instinct to protect Skylar or if he was frustrated that his eevee was being targeted by Team Rocket. He hadn't known the man long enough to make an accurate guess about what he was thinking. Nonetheless, it was apparent that he was infuriated, and Ash couldn't blame him.

"What is the executive's name?" asked Ruphus, squinting his eyes.

"I don't know," lied Ash, realizing that he had already said enough.

Nothing good would come out of Ash revealing Petrel's name. Information like that was better kept amongst people that were in a position to help. Ruphus was an eevee breeder, not a League official. No matter how personal Ruphus' grudge against Team Rocket had become, Ash couldn't disclose that information. It wouldn't help anyone.

"Are you sure?" queried Ruphus suspiciously.

Ash's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't been expecting Ruphus to question him any further. However, now that he thought about it, he was an idiot for assuming that Ruphus would instantly believe him.

After all, they had just met. No matter how well they were getting along, it didn't change the fact that Team Rocket had hurt his daughter in order to steal his eevee, and he wanted vengeance.

"Ruphus!" scoffed Ellen, smacking him on the back of the head. "Are you already forgetting what Ash has done for us!? Even if he does know the name of the Rocket that sent out the order to capture eevee, I'm sure he has a perfectly good reason for keeping it to himself."

Ruphus took a breath as he shook off the blow that his wife had delivered.

"You're right…" said Ruphus before shifting his attention to Ash. "I'm sorry, Ash. That was uncalled for."

"It's okay," replied Ash, shaking his head and waving it off. "I completely understand. If I were you, I would want to know more, too."

"Yeah..." drawled Ruphus as he grasped Eevee's pokeball and transferred his eyes over to Skylar, "it's just frustrating. I wish I could do more. I'm her father, and I wasn't there to protect her. The least I could do is make sure that the person responsible for her pain is punished."

"…And they will be," said Ash, clenching his fist. "The three Rockets that carried out the order are behind bars, and it's only a matter of time before their leader is too. The executive responsible for this will come face to face with justice. I'm sure of it."

"I hope so," retorted Ruphus with a half-hearted smile.

While Ash was thinking of an appropriate response, Ellen interjected, likely sensing the need to change the focus of the conversation.

"Rather than revenge," said Ellen with a hint of disgust in her voice, "we should be focusing on the fact that Skylar and Eevee are back."

She paused as she focused her attention on Ash, "Now, Ash, I'm sure you have other matters that you would like to attend to. Since Skylar probably won't be waking up today, why don't you come back tomorrow? That way, you can talk to Skylar, and it gives Ruphus and I an opportunity to discuss a way to repay you."

"Okay," said Ash, "I can do that. There's someplace I've got to be early tomorrow afternoon, but I can stop by before or after. Do you care what time I come?"

"It doesn't matter to me," replied Ellen with a smile. "We'll be here all day tomorrow. There's no way I'm leaving my baby's side, and it'll be a couple of days before she is well enough to go home.

"Likewise," added Ruphus.

"Gotcha'," retorted Ash, nodding his head. "I'll be on my way then.

He paused while adjusting his cap, "By the way, you really don't owe me anything. There's no need for you to go out of your way to repay me."

There was a brief moment of silence.

"If that was an attempt to change our minds," said Ruphus with a smirk, "you failed miserably."

"Yeah," added Ellen with a chuckle, "we're Worthingtons, and Worthingtons always repay those that assist them. You're not going to talk your way out of this one, Ash. Believe it or not, it will be doing us a favor by accepting whatever reward we come up with."

Ash let out a sigh as he scratched the back of his head. Like the Montgomerys, it appeared as though he had just made friends with another wealthy and insistent family.

"Okay, then," said Ash as he shook his head, "since I don't have a choice in the matter. I'll just be sure to thank you for whatever you come up with."

"That's better," retorted Ellen, placing her hands on her hips. "Now, was that so hard?"

Ash couldn't help but laugh before answering, "Actually, yes…it was."

XXX

After getting a bite to eat at Cafeteria A and picking up his pokemon from Nurse Joy, Ash went to his room to get settled in before his xtransceiver started to ring.

_"Ring..."_

"_Ring…"_

Ash couldn't help but chuckle when he saw the name that popped up on his xtransceiver.

It read: Sabrina Marvil.

He should have known that she would get a hold of him first. After all, Sabrina was the greatest human psychic in the world.

"_Ring…"_

"_Click."_

The moment Ash pressed the receive button, Sabrina's fair face popped up onscreen. Despite the fact that her last couple of weeks had doubtlessly been jam packed with a multitude of tedious matters, she flashed him a small smile, revealing to him a rare hint of emotion.

"Hey, Sabrina," said Ash with a massive grin on his face. "What's up?"

"Greetings, Ash Ketchum," retorted Sabrina, speaking in her typical monotonous voice. "I've been looking forward to this conversation since shortly after you left Saffron. I take it you're at the pokemon center in Celadon?"

"Yeah, I'm at the Pokemon Center," answered Ash, unsurprised by Sabrina's comment. "How did you know?"

"I had a vision right before you left Saffron," said Sabrina matter-of-factly. "Destiny told me that I needed to call you at this specific moment in time. Moreover, I've been supernaturally informed that you would have imperative information. The rest is a blur, but I assume that you will enlighten me."

Ash let out a deep sigh. Destiny, again…he should have guessed.

"Are you alone?" continued Sabrina. "The vision didn't clarify that you would be, but I believe this will end up being a conversation that should not be listened in on."

"It's just Growlithe and I," said Ash, turning the face of his xtransceiver in the direction of his pup – who was lounging comfortably on the room's twin-sized bed – so that Sabrina could get a good look at him. "And, yeah, you're right. This won't be a conversation that we can afford to have eavesdropped on.

"Salutations, Growlithe," articulated Sabrina. "You look stronger since the last time I saw you. I see Ash Ketchum has trained you well over the past few weeks."

Due to the angle of his xtransceiver, Ash couldn't see her countenance. However, he could hear a tiny sliver of jovial emotion in her voice as she praised Growlithe.

Despite the fact that Sabrina rarely showed any emotion, she seemed to have a strange inclination to act out of character with Ash and his pokemon. He couldn't even begin to explain why. It was just the way things were. Ever since they had gotten to know each other in Saffron, Sabrina had taken an odd liking to him and his friends.

It was as if she had adopted them into the small, select group of people and pokemon that she considered her family…

In subsequence to Sabrina's acknowledgement and praise of Growlithe, the pup responded with a benign yip. Regardless of the psychic's irregular personality, Growlithe had always liked her. He was just as happy to see Sabrina's pretty face as Ash was.

"Since it's just the two of you, how about we begin our discussion," said Sabrina as Ash angled his xtransceiver back towards his anticipatory mug. "Ash Ketchum, why has destiny deemed it necessary for me to make this call?"

"Team Rocket," spat Ash, deciding not to beat around the bush. "I have some important information about Team Rocket."

"I see," replied Sabrina with a bit of malice in her voice. "Does this have to do with Ariana and what happened in Saffron?"

"Probably," replied Ash, "but not directly…at least that's what I think. This has more to do with Celadon."

"Elaborate..." muttered Sabrina.

At this point, it was obvious that Sabrina was more than interested in what he had to say. Because of Team Rocket, her home had been turned into a war zone, and the man she looked up to more than anyone else in the world, Robert Montgomery, had been temporarily kidnapped. It was safe to say that there was presently nothing on the planet that she despised more than Team Rocket.

Thus, she was all ears...

"Well…" drawled Ash, "it all started earlier today. I wasn't too far away from Celadon when Growlithe picked up a strange scent. His reaction was wild and instinctual, similar to how he responded to the horrible atrocities that happened aboard the SS _Anne."_

He paused as he recalled the memory in his head, "Of course, we followed it. It took about thirty minutes to reach the location that the scent was coming from. When we got there, what we found was awful. There was a girl, around my age, beaten to a pulp and tied to a large stone. All around her was a massive mess; the people that had attacked her and tied her up had trashed all of her stuff.

"So, once you found her, I'm assuming that you contacted the Celadon Police Department," said Sabrina, following Ash's story. "Am I correct?"

"More or less," retorted Ash. "I did everything I could to help her first. She was still barely conscious when I found her, so in order for me to calm her down enough so that Growlithe could bite through the rope that constrained her, I had to get her to trust me. It was during that time that I found out that she had been attacked by three people and that they had stolen an eevee from her."

He took a moment to think about everything that had happened before continuing, "After Growlithe gnawed through the rope, and Clefairy laid her down carefully, I called the Celadon Police Department. It didn't take too long for them to show up, probably about ten minutes because of the abra that teleported them."

"The Celadon Police Department has an abra…" said Sabrina with a hint of surprise in her eyes. "At least they're doing something right in _that_ city. Interesting…I must say that my outlook on Celadon has become slightly less negative."

She paused, "Speaking of abra, Ash Ketchum, did you have any luck finding one on Route Seven? I can't get a good read on you and your pokemon from this distance. Unfortunately, my psionic prowess is limited by range. I have an empathy link with you, but it is restricted to knowing only your current state of emotions. Unless I get a vision, your present and future is a blur to me. As long as you are outside of Saffron, we will have to rely on traditional conversation to catch up."

The moment Sabrina asked if he found an abra, he frowned. Despite the fact that he really wanted one, his luck fell short. Over the past couple of weeks – prior to coming across Skylar – his friends had gotten a lot stronger, and he had run into some rather intriguing wild pokemon. Almost everything had gone his way _except_ for the fact that he had never come across an abra.

He had even had Growlithe reach out with his aromatic awareness multiple times, but it was to no avail. Every time his friend picked up a scent that belonged to a member of the species, it was several miles away. Ash and his friends had tried tracking one down at one point. However, as soon as they got to within a two-mile radius, it teleported way beyond reach.

Basically, it got to the point where trying to capture an abra was a waste of time. He didn't know what it was, but it almost felt like destiny didn't want him to have one. Maybe he was overreacting a little bit, but that's just how it felt.

"Unfortunately," said Ash with disappointment in his voice, "I never ran into one. I guess it wasn't meant to be."

He paused before responding to the rest of what Sabrina had to say, "In regard to your powers, I figured as much."

"I'm sorry that I got your hopes up about the abra," articulated Sabrina, "but I wouldn't rule out the possibility yet. Sometimes, we get what we want…other times we don't. And sometimes we get what want through means that we never would have imagined. Destiny is a mysterious thing. We can make guesses, but there's no way to know exactly how it is going to unfold."

"I guess you're right," retorted Ash with a sigh. "Anyways, how about I finish my story. It's a lot more important than the fact that I failed to catch an abra."

"We're in agreement," answered Sabrina with amused eyes.

It was obvious to Ash that she was entertained by his frustration. Sabrina had an outrageous sense of pride when it came to the abra line. He could tell that, even though he hadn't captured an abra, Sabrina liked the fact that it was near the top of his list of pokemon that he wanted to catch…

"Continue please, Ash Ketchum," said Sabrina, pursing her lips.

Ash took a moment to remember the last thing that he had said before speaking.

"So…the head Officer Jenny of the Celadon Police Department arrived at the scene, along with a couple other officers and some paramedics," said Ash, resuming from where he left off. "As soon as I found out that the Officer Jenny that had shown up was the department's chief, I became suspicious. In situations like this, lesser ranked officers would have been sent, right?"

"Most of the time," answered Sabrina as she habitually ran her fingers through her hair. "Typically, a chief Jenny only deploys herself into the field during an emergency or an extremely important matter. In this case, I would have been thinking along the same lines as you. Either the girl that was assaulted was important to Celadon, or the attackers were already on the Police Department's radar."

"That's what I thought," said Ash with a nod.

"So, which was it?" asked Sabrina, raising an eyebrow. "Was the girl significant to Celadon, or were the assailants already being targeted?"

"Well, there is a little more to it than that," replied Ash, scratching the back of his neck. "The girl, Skylar, is definitely significant. I wouldn't necessarily say that she is important to the city, but she is the daughter of Ruphus Worthington: a famous eevee bree—"

"I know Ruphus Worthington," interrupted Sabrina. "He's a good friend of the Montgomerys. They've been getting their pet eevee from the Worthington family for years."

"Oh, really?" asked Ash, interested.

"Yes…" retorted Sabrina, "really."

"I'll have to ask you more about that later then," said Ash, trying not to get off topic. "Anyhow, Skylar Worthington had been missing for three days, so the Police Department had already been searching for her when I found her. At the time, they had no idea who had attacked her, so the head Jenny's reason for showing up solely had to do with Skylar. Apparently, the safety of a Worthington warrants the attention of an entire police department. The Worthingtons are _that_ influential."

"Well, yeah," replied Sabrina. "They're one of the richest families in all of Kanto. Of course the disappearance of a Worthington would warrant that kind of attention. You saw how the public reacted to Robert's disappearance."

"Good point," said Ash, nodding his head.

"Well, right before they teleported Skylar to the Pokemon Center," continued Ash, "Officer Jenny offered me a ride to the Center as well. I said no."

Sabrina shook her head, already knowing where Ash's story was about to go.

"Ash Ketchum, you went after the eevee that the perpetrators stole from the Worthington girl, didn't you?"

"Err…yeah," answered Ash, fully aware that he was about to get scolded, "I couldn't let them get away with what they did. Come on now, Sabrina. You would have done the same thing."

"That may be true," retorted Sabrina with an edge in her voice, "but I have the power and authority to do so. Did Officer Jenny send you to go after the attackers? I highly doubt it."

Ash gulped. He didn't know what to say to her.

"That's what I thought," added Sabrina, responding to his silence. "Dammit, Ash Ketchum, didn't we tell you before you left Saffron not to do anything moronic?"

"Err…maybe," stammered Ash, "but you didn't see what they did to Skylar. I couldn't just let them get away with it. Besides, if I hadn't done what I did, Team Rocket would have gotten away with the eevee!"

Sabrina let out an exasperated sigh. Ash could tell that she was clearly disappointed in him.

"You have allies, Ash Ketchum," scolded Sabrina. "You could have called me, and I would have teleported to your location at a moment's notice. You're not supposed to take on Team Rocket alone.

"Well…" drawled Ash, "at the time, I didn't know that it was Team Rocket that attacked her."

"You may not have known for sure," retorted Sabrina, "but I'm sure you had a pretty good idea that it was them. A scene like that has Team Rocket's name written all over it. Have you forgotten what they did to the SS _Anne _and Saffron?"

"I could never forget that!" blurted Ash, raising his voice. "You're right! I knew it was Team Rocket!"

Tears welled up in his eyes as the volume of his voice dropped, "Sabrina, after everything I've been through, I couldn't stop myself. I had to do it…"

"Listen, Ash Ketchum," said Sabrina, capturing his full attention, "I understand why you did what you did. Trust me…I do. However, it doesn't change the fact that Team Rocket is _beyond_ dangerous. You, more than anyone, should know that."

"I know," said Ash, "but—"

"No more buts," interjected Sabrina. "You will not go after Team Rocket on your own again. Now, please, finish the rest of your story."

Ash wiped away the small buildup of tears that had accumulated in the corners of his eyes before he responded.

"_Fine_," retorted Ash, "I won't go after Team Rocket by myself again. But, I can't promise that if I run into them by chance – and they are doing something suspicious – that I won't do something to stop them."

"That's understandable," said Sabrina, nodding her head. "If destiny chooses to place Team Rocket in your path, then there is nothing you can do but fight. All I ask is that you do not continue to seek out situations such as this most recent one. I commend you for helping out the Worthington girl, but you should have left the Rockets and the eevee to the Celadon Police Department."

Ash nodded his head. There was no point in arguing with her; she wasn't going to budge. Besides, deep down inside, Ash knew that she was right.

"Anyways…" drawled Ash, sitting down on the foot of the bed as he tried his best to calm down, "back to the story."

He paused, recounting where he left off, "After Officer Jenny left with Skylar, I had Growlithe follow the attackers' scents. Along with Haunter and Clefairy, we tracked them down. They weren't too far away from Skylar's ruined campsite. When we found them, they were having lunch in the middle of a small clearing. The conversation they were having sounded interesting, so I decided to eavesdrop before I attacked."

"Is this where you picked up the information?"

"Yeah," said Ash with a nod, attempting to remember the entirety of the Rockets' conversation. "A lot of what I heard was just typical conversation, but then they started talking about their ranks and something about how Team Rocket chose its members."

"Did any of that stand out to you?" asked Sabrina.

"Bits and pieces," said Ash with a shrug. "All of the stuff that we don't already know was rather confusing, though."

His eyes intensified as he thought about what happened next, "That is…until they started talking about their leader."

"Their leader?" queried Sabrina, perking up onscreen, "as in—"

"Not the leader of the entire organization," interrupted Ash. "That person is called the Boss. They were referring to another—"

"Executive," finished Sabrina monotonously. "That's what I was going to say before you cut me off."

"Oh…" muttered Ash, "how'd you know?"

"Up to this point, we've interrogated hundreds of grunts in Saffron," answered Sabrina. "Not a single one of them knows the identity of the Boss. Moreover, all information regarding the executives and the organization's plans is locked inside impregnable mental barriers. Everyday it's becoming more and more apparent that the abomination has safeguarded each and every Rockets' mind."

She paused, "The mental barriers that have been put up over the Rockets' psyches go beyond anything I have ever seen before, especially the one guarding Ariana's mind. Even Midna and Kaz haven't had any luck with the majority of her mental barrier."

"Damn…" drawled Ash, "that isn't good news."

"I know," retorted Sabrina, "but it's what we're dealing with. Anyways, continue…I am eager to find out what the Rockets you captured said about the executive."

"Alright," replied Ash, "the first thing I found out about the executive was his name."

Sabrina's pink eyes widened. Apparently, Ash had caught her by surprise.

"Wait a second, Ash Ketchum," answered Sabrina with a hint of astonishment in her voice. "Any details would have been nice, but you managed to get a _name."_

Ash smirked.

"The executive's name is just the tip of the iceberg," crowed Ash. "I've learned a lot of interesting things today, Sabrina."

"Tell me…" demanded Sabrina, "now."

Ash gulped; Sabrina could be scary when she wanted something. By now, he had spent enough time around her to know that much.

"The executive's name is Petrel," blurted Ash as he felt Growlithe lean up against him. "He leads an entire division of Rockets. I'm assuming that he is on the same level as Ariana."

"Petrel…" drawled Sabrina, "I don't recognize the name. What else did you find out?"

"Well," said Ash, "after they talked about Petrel for a little bit. They mentioned the fact that they needed to hurry up and get back to their base. Apparently, Petrel gave them orders to steal the eevee from Skylar and bring it to him."

"I see," retorted Sabrina, "so there must be a Team Rocket hideout in or near Celadon. At least, that's what makes the most sense given the information you've shared with me."

"I'm pretty sure I know where it is," answered Ash, causing Sabrina's eyes to widen once again.

"Where?"

"I'll tell you in a second," answered Ash. "Let me finish my story first."

"Very well…" said Sabrina, "this time I will not interject until you are finished."

"Perfect."

He took a deep breath as he ran his fingers through Growlithe's tuft, "Right before they were about to leave, I attacked. Growlithe, Haunter, Pidgeotto and Clefairy made quick work of their pokemon before I had Haunter use Hypnosis on the grunts."

"After that, it was just a matter of calling back Officer Jenny to have her pickup the unconscious Rockets. This time, I chose to tag along. I accomplished everything I wanted too on Route Seven – except for catching an abra – so there was no reason for me to decline her offer to take me with her to the station."

Sabrina nodded with attentive eyes, letting Ash know that she was still following him.

"When we got to the station, Officer Jenny locked up the Rockets before she took me into her office for questioning. She scolded me for a bit for going after Team Rocket on my own—"

"As she should have," inserted Sabrina with an edge in her voice.

"I thought you said you were going to stop interrupting me.

"My apologies," retorted Sabrina. "I couldn't resist."

There was a moment of silence as Ash waited for the smirk on Sabrina's face to go away.

"Are you satisfied?" asked Ash, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," said Sabrina. "Yes, I am."

Ash let out a deep, exasperated sigh before continuing.

"So…" muttered Ash, "once Officer Jenny was done giving me a hard time, we talked about what had happened. I asked her how much she knew about Team Rocket's ranks; she had a pretty good idea."

All of a sudden, Ash noticed Sabrina's glowering eyes. It was rather obvious why she was staring at him so intensely.

"Don't worry," said Ash, "I didn't tell her any information that you would deem classified. I only brought up the fact that I overheard the Rockets and that they mentioned the name of their leader."

Her gaze lightened up, letting Ash know that his response was satisfactory.

"Next, I gave her Executive Petrel's name," continued Ash, "and I'm glad I did because she knew him."

Ash watched as Sabrina sat up in her chair. It was clear that she was even more focused than she had been before.

"It turns out that Petrel is the name of the manager at the Game Corner," said Ash, causing Sabrina to once again break her agreement not to interrupt him.

"Are you sure that the Petrel at the Game Corner and Team Rocket's Petrel are one in the same?"

"How many people do you know named Petrel?" queried Ash sarcastically.

"Fair enough," retorted Sabrina.

"Besides," said Ash in a serious tone of voice, "according to Officer Jenny, she's been suspicious of him for a while now, although she never guessed that he could be a Rocket executive."

He paused, "Officer Jenny and I are convinced that there is a Rocket hideout somewhere in the Game Corner. If we're right, it would answer a lot of the questions surrounding Celadon's crime rate and the flourishing success of the Game Corner."

"It's a solid hypothesis," answered Sabrina. "After listening to what you have to say, I have a feeling the two of you are right. Did you discuss a plan of action?"

"Well, not really," said Ash. "She's been trying to get a warrant to search the Game Corner for a couple of months, but hasn't had any luck. Erika won't allow it, and the other gym leaders aren't interested in getting involved. Now that she's positive that Petrel is a part of Team Rocket, though, she's determined to get one. I told her I'd ask you, since we're friends. So, she wanted me to talk to you before I meet with her tomorrow afternoon."

"Okay," articulated Sabrina, "so destiny wasn't kidding when it said that you had something important to tell me."

"Nope," retorted Ash, "it definitely wasn't."

"Well, I suppose it is what it is," said Sabrina with a blank face. "Is there anything else that you need to tell me?"

"I think that's everything," answered Ash.

"Alright then," said Sabrina monotonously, "so you're, without a doubt, speaking with Officer Jenny tomorrow, correct?"

"_Mhmm…"_ murmured Ash, nodding his head.

"Can you deliver a message to her for me, then?" asked Sabrina.

"Of course."

He paused, raising an eyebrow, "What is it?"

"Tell her that there is no need for me to issue her a warrant," said Sabrina, causing Ash to look at her in a highly confused manner.

"What are you saying?" questioned Ash.

"I'm saying that it isn't necessary to give Officer Jenny a warrant," said Sabrina, "because she will not be searching the Game Corner."

"She won't?" asked Ash. "I don't understand. Why not?"

"The reason that she will not be searching the Game Corner," said Sabrina, "is because, from here on out, I will be handling the situation. After I get off of the phone with you, I'm going to make a few calls. With everything that is going on in Saffron, I can't go to Celadon myself, but I plan on getting in contact with the ACE Corps and League headquarters. This job is too big for the Kanto Police. It requires someone that can go toe-to-toe with a Team Rocket executive."

"I see," retorted Ash, breathing a massive sigh of relief. "For a second, I thought you were trying to say that you were going to leave the Game Corner alone."

"There is nothing to worry about, Ash Ketchum," articulated Sabrina. "I would never leave a situation such as this one unattended."

"That's why I was so surprised," said Ash as he lifted his hat and scratched the top of his head. "Anyways, why don't you contact Kent? Wouldn't he be the perfect person to handle something like this?"

"Yes, I am planning on relaying everything we have talked about to Kent," said Sabrina. "However, it is unlikely that he will be able to go to the Game Corner himself. He has been a major help to me in Saffron, handling the aftermath of the battle against Ariana. I can't afford to let him go yet."

She paused, "Besides, he is under direct orders from the Champion to stay in Saffron. Until Lance says that he is permitted to leave, he won't be going anywhere."

"Wouldn't Lance understand, though," replied Ash. "I mean, the League has an opportunity to take down another executive. Shouldn't he be all over a chance like that?"

"Yes, he should be," said Sabrina monotonously. "But, whether he is or isn't, there is no need to remove Kent from his current objective. Kent isn't the only first-class ACE trainer, Ash Ketchum, and there's always the Elite Four."

"There are other ACE trainers as strong as Kent?" asked Ash, flabbergasted. "I saw Kent battle in person. I kind of find that hard to believe."

"Whether you believe it or not, I speak the truth," retorted Sabrina. "Anyways, just pass my message on to Officer Jenny, and stay away from the Game Corner. Assuming there is a Rocket hideout, it is way too dangerous for you to be snooping around."

"But, I was going to try and win someth—"

"Ash Ketchum, I swear to Mew…" drawled Sabrina in a cold tone of voice, "if you so much as take one step inside of that putrid place, I will hunt you down, suspend your license, and send you home to your mother until Team Rocket is terminated."

Ash gulped.

"D-don't you think that's a little excessive?" queried Ash, grabbing onto Growlithe for support.

"If excessive is what it takes to protect you," articulated Sabrina, gazing at him with her ominous pink eyes, "then I won't hesitate for a second. It was different when you were in Saffron. You were never alone, and I could always keep an eye on you with my clairvoyance. This time, it's different. You are much more vulnerable."

Ash had to admit, she did have a point. As much as he didn't like it, it would be stupid to go to the Game Corner. He wasn't strong enough to protect himself from an executive. Going to that place, knowing what he knew about Team Rocket, was just asking for trouble.

This time, he would obey Sabrina. He could check it out another time—once the League had rid it of the debased, scum that it was infested with.

"Alright…" muttered Ash, "I'll stay away from the Game Corner."

"You better," retorted Sabrina, running her fingers through her hair.

She paused, "Anyhow, I should get going. I need to make a few phone calls. This situation needs to be handled as soon as possible."

"Okay," said Ash, "I'll let you go then."

He smiled and waved at the screen, "Bye, Sabrina. Let me know how everything goes."

"Farewell, Ash Ketchum," retorted Sabrina with a small smile on her face. "Stay out of trouble."

"_Click."_

The screen read "Call Ended" before fading to black.

Ash shifted his attention over to Growlithe, "Well, that was interesting…"

The puppy pokemon let out a quiet bark, signifying that he agreed with his trainer.

Ash took a deep breath before falling backward onto the bed's firm, albeit comfortable, mattress, "Looks like we're not going to the Game Corner anymore."

Growlithe disembogued a soft murmur, picking up the disappointment in his trainer's voice. He knew how much Ash wanted to see everything that Celadon had to offer.

"_Hmm…_I guess we're going to have to switch up our plans for tomorrow," said Ash as he thought about an alternative option.

"I wanted to go to the Game Corner after we visited Skylar and talked with Officer Jenny," continued Ash. "However, now that that plan is up in flames, maybe we'll go to the Department Store instead. It's in the city's northwestern district, so it can't be more than an hour away if we take a taxi…"

He paused as he looked Growlithe in the eyes, "How does that sound?"

Growlithe nodded. As long as Ash was okay with it, he was okay with it.

"Alrighty then," said Ash, "I guess it's decided. Tomorrow, we're hitting up the Department Store."

Hopefully, he'd walk away with some noteworthy things.

XXX

After a good night's rest, a couple of early morning training sessions, and a hearty breakfast, Ash stood out front of Skylar's hospital room, waiting for Nurse Joy's chansey, Lucky, to let him inside.

As Lucky opened the door, Ash couldn't help but feel somewhat nervous. This would be the first time since he saved Skylar that he would be able to talk to her.

At the front desk, Nurse Joy had let him know that Skylar had finally woken up. Apparently, she had regained consciousness about an hour before Ash arrived to see her. Nurse Joy warned him that she was still a bit addled, but she was responsive enough to hold a conversation.

When he walked through the doorway, he barely took a couple of steps before he was bombarded by an overjoyed Ellen. While she wrapped Ash up in an oppressively tight hug, he noticed that she was wearing the same elegant clothes as the day before, signifying that she had stayed at the Pokemon Center overnight.

"Ash!" exclaimed Ellen, strangling the ten-year-boy with affection. "My baby girl is finally awake!"

"C-can't b-breath," managed Ash as he desperately tried to get air.

This time, Ellen's embrace was on the same level as his mother's. He felt like his ribs were going to snap and his lungs were going to fold as she inadvertently tried to murder him with endearment.

"Mom," said a faint, young, female voice, catching Ash's fading attention, "let go of him. He's about to pass out."

Ellen immediately let go of Ash before throwing both of her hands in the air like she was about to get arrested.

"Oh, no, I've done it again!" cried the outlandish, blonde-haired woman, turning red from embarrassment. "Ash, I'm sorry!"

Ash gasped, drawing in as much air as he could in attempt to reestablish his breath.

"I-it's okay," stammered Ash. "There's no need to apologize. I-I'll be fine."

Once his breathing had gone back to normal, he surveyed his surroundings. Other than himself, the only two people in the room were Ellen and Skylar. Ellen was still standing as straight as a board with her hands in the air, whereas Skylar sat up in the Pokemon Center's inclined hospital bed, staring at her mother in an exasperated manner.

"What in the world are you doing, Mom?" queried Skylar with her hand on her forehead. "You're embarrassing me.

Ellen quickly dropped her hands to her side, realizing that she looked like a criminal. Subsequently, she turned her attention away from Ash and toward her daughter before oddly pressing a lone finger up against her lips.

"Don't tell your father about this!" blurted Ellen in a loud whisper.

"Don't tell me about what?" asked a smooth, male voice, coming from directly behind Ash.

He turned around to find Ruphus strolling through the doorway, carrying a large, plain, plastic bag. Ash was curious about its content until he smelt the unmistakable scent of breakfast food oozing out of it.

"Oh, nothing, honey!" shouted Ellen, waving her hands back and forth vigorously. "It's not like I squeezed Ash too hard again! I wouldn't do that, especially after you told me to try my best not to!"

Ash couldn't help but chuckle under his breath. Mrs. Worthington was quite possibly the worst liar he had ever met in his entire life. Even when she wanted to hide something, she was the type of person that came clean all on her own.

"A shoddy liar as always," retorted Ruphus with a smirk as he placed the bag of food on the hospital room's small counter. "I told you that knowing full well that you wouldn't be able to contain yourself. How long have we been married, Ellen…twenty-three years? At this point, I know you better than you know yourself."

"It'll be twenty-four next month," answered Ellen with a defeated sigh, "and I know. It was silly for me to think that I could keep a secret from you. After all these years, I've never been able to get away with lying to you. You always figure me out."

Ruphus let out a light chuckle.

"It's kind of hard not to," said Ruphus. "Never once have you failed to come clean on your own."

Although Ash had managed to stop laughing externally, he couldn't help but surge with internal laughter.

All of this over a _hug. _

With every minute that went by, the Worthingtons were beginning to remind him more and more of the Montgomery family. To say that they were entertaining would be an understatement.

"Can you two _please_ stop?" queried Skylar.

Ash turned around to find Skylar's pretty face as red as Charmeleon's scales. It was obvious that her parents were embarrassing her, which was something that Ash completely understood.

His mother always had a knack for making him feel like he was about to die from humiliation. Between shamelessly demanding in public that he needed to change his underwear and calling him Ashy – which was the catalyst for the nickname Gary had given him, "Ashy-boy" – Ash had felt his fair share of parent induced awkwardness.

Needless to say, Skylar wasn't the only kid that had to endure moments like this. Ash had been in her shoes hundreds of times. He knew what it was like.

Speaking of his mother, he needed to give her a call soon. He had only spoken to her once while he was on the road, and he had yet to let her know that he had safely arrived in Celadon.

Maybe he'd call her after he met with Officer Jenny. After getting scolded for neglecting her for the first month of his journey, he had promised her that he would be better about giving her regular updates involving his whereabouts.

The last thing he wanted to do was let her down again—

Ash mentally jolted when he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. It was Ruphus.

"Good to see you again, Ash," said Ruphus, breaking him free of his rumination. "I wasn't expecting you to visit until a little bit later. If I would have known, I would have picked up breakfast earlier."

He gestured toward the bag of food on the counter before continuing, "I got plenty, so you're welcome to help yourself if you want. Cafeteria B's buffet table is top-notch, so I just picked up a bunch of stuff that looked good."

"Thanks," retorted Ash with a smile, "but I'm good for now. I just ate a little while ago."

"Very well," replied Ruphus as he walked over to the bag. "Well then, if you don't mind, my wife and I are going to have a quick bite to eat. I'm sure Skylar would like an opportunity to talk to you one-on-one."

He turned his attention to Ellen as he picked the food back up off of the counter, "Come on, sweetheart. Let's go eat in the lobby."

"But, I thought the whole point of you getting the food to go was so that we wouldn't have to leave Skylar alone," answered Mrs. Worthington with a puzzled expression.

"Plans have changed," said Ruphus, giving Ash a wink. "Ash is here now. He can look after her while we eat."

"Why can't we all jus—"

Unwilling to give his wife an opportunity to finish her sentence, Ruphus grabbed a hold of her wrist before dragging the confused Ellen out of the room.

Ash sighed. He had to admit, he would have rather had Ruphus and Ellen stay in the room with him. The only one-on-one time that he had spent with Skylar had been when he saved her, so he wasn't quite sure what they would talk about. Originally, he had visited her just to make sure that she was okay. Now that he had, and he knew that she was fine, Ash wasn't sure what to do. He hadn't thought that far ahead.

Should he ask her questions about what happened? Should he try and get to know her?

But, what if it was too soon for her to talk about what happened? Maybe she didn't want him to know anything about her? What if—

Ash disconnected himself from his current train of thought before focusing on what was going on around him. He was overthinking things. There was no need to contemplate what it is that they would talk about. The conversation would occur, and awkward or not, it would unfold the way that it was meant to unfold…

"Sorry about that," said Skylar, breaking the ice. "They can be a bit overwhelming sometimes.

"Don't worry about it," replied Ash, turning around and showing Skylar a light smile. "I like them a lot. They remind me of some really good friends of mine."

"Well, that's relieving," said Skylar, using her index finger to twirl the end of her long, blonde hair. "I never know how someone is going to react to my parents. They're a little too energetic for a lot of people, especially my mom."

"I get where you're coming from," said Ash, "but it doesn't bother me. Anyways, Nurse Joy told me you just woke up. How are you feeling?"

"I feel alright," retorted Skylar as a small smile formed on her face. "My mind is still a bit hazy, and my body's sore. But, I'll be fine."

"Good," answered Ash, "I'm glad that you're going to be alright. I was really worried when I found you."

"Was it that bad?" queried Skylar in a curious manner. "I remember bits and pieces, but at some point, I blacked out. Next thing I knew, you were standing over me."

She paused for a moment before frowning, "Sorry for being so difficult…I wasn't exactly thinking straight."

Ash's eyes widened with surprise. He wasn't expecting her to recollect what happened when he saved her.

"Don't worry about it," said Ash, looking Skylar in the eyes. "After what happened, it was completely understandable."

He scratched the back of his head and grinned, trying his best to come off as personable as possible, "Anyways, I'm surprised you remember something like that. I was under the impression that you wouldn't recognize me, let alone remember what happened."

"The attack is mostly a blur," retorted Skylar with an empty expression. "Like I said, I remember some minor details. But, for the most part, the only thing I can think of when I try to remember what happened is an overwhelming sense of helplessness. I was scared. I thought I was going to..."

She took a deep breath as a bright smile stretched across her face, "However, I could never forget the moment you saved me. I can picture it vividly in my head. It was like a dream. Just when I had lost all hope, you showed up."

Ash's cheeks turned red. When Skylar recounted things from her perspective, she made it sound like he was some sort of hero. But, from Ash's point of view, he had only done what any decent person would have done.

If anyone was a hero, it was Growlithe. He was the one that had sensed that something was wrong with his aromatic awareness. If it weren't for his starter…well, he didn't really want to think about what might have happened.

"I just did what I thought was right," said Ash matter-of-factly.

"Don't be modest," answered Skylar, tears forming in her eyes, "Ash, you saved my life. If you wouldn't have shown up when you did, I would have—"

A bloody image of Chance Chapman's dead body flashed within his head.

Death…he didn't want to talk about it.

"Don't say it," retorted Ash with earnest eyes. "Please, don't say it. The fact of the matter is, you're here. You're alive. There's no need to dwell on what might have happened. Trust me…nothing good will come out of it."

There was a moment of silence before she burst out into tears. It was as if every last drop of bottled up emotion was pouring out all at once.

"I-I was so scared!" cried Skylar, "I d-didn't know what was going to happen! It hurt! They wouldn't stop! I was _so _scared, Ash! So scared! I thought it was…I thought it was all ov—"

Without thinking, Ash reflexively grabbed her hand in order to comfort her.

"_Shhhh…_it's okay," said Ash. "You're safe now. There's nothing to worry about."

"B-but what if they come back?!" wailed Skylar, starting to panic. "What if—"

"They're not coming back, Skylar," reassured Ash. "I promise. They'll never hurt you again."

"How do you—"

"Because they've been caught," retorted Ash, attempting to calm her down. "After you told me about Eevee being stolen, I went after them. I beat them and handed them over to Officer Jenny. They're behind bars as we speak."

Skylar's breathing began to calm down. She was still in disarray, but it appeared as though what Ash had said was helping.

"D-do you promise?" questioned Skylar as she wiped the tears from her sky-blue eyes.

"Yes," said Ash with a small smile, "I promise. It's been all taken care of."

All of a sudden, her eyes brightened. It appeared as though something had just clicked in her head.

"Wait a second!" blurted Skylar. "Does that mean…does that mean you rescued Eevee?"

"Yup," said Ash, "I—"

Skylar didn't give Ash an opportunity to answer, pulling him closer to her before wrapping him up in a tight embrace.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you…"

Not knowing how to respond, Ash just let her hold him. He blushed as she tightly squeezed him, continuously repeating "thank you" like she was a broken record.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she let go, allowing Ash to stand back up.

Despite the duration of the hug, it wasn't until Ash looked her in the eyes that she realized what she had done. Her face abruptly turned red as she looked away from him in embarrassment.

"I-I'm sorry about that," stammered Skylar. "I don't know what came over me. I was just so happy that you saved Eevee that—"

"You don't need to apologize," said Ash with a wink, trying to lighten the mood. "I guess it just runs in the family."

"Stop it!" blurted Skylar in between laughter. "That's my worst nightmare!"

Ash couldn't help but laugh; Skylar's reaction was priceless. At the same time, he was curious as to why Skylar ran away from home. Even though her parents embarrassed her, she didn't seem to dislike them. Something didn't quite add up about the story Officer Jenny had told him.

Mr. and Mrs. Worthington didn't come off as being over controlling to him. There had to more to it. He had a tough time believing that she ran away just because her parents were overbearing.

Ash waited for Skylar to stop laughing as he worked up the courage to ask her the question that he was so anxious to hear the answer to.

"Hey, Skylar, can I ask you something?" said Ash, catching her attention.

She looked at him with intrigued eyes as she habitually twirled her hair.

"What is it?"

"Why'd you run away?"

Skylar's shoulders dropped, and her facial expression went from happy to disconcerted in the blink of an eye. Ash wasn't sure, but it looked as if she was ashamed. Maybe, she didn't want to talk about it.

"I'm sorry," said Ash. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I was just cur—"

"It's okay," interjected Skylar. "You saved my life. It's only right that you know what happened."

Ash nodded his head, waiting for her to initiate whatever it was that she was about to tell him.

"I ran away from home because of Eevee," stated Skylar, causing Ash's curiosity to heighten.

"Huh?" questioned Ash. "What do you mean?"

She paused for a second as she came up with an answer.

"Ash…" drawled Skylar, resting her head on her pillow, "before I continue, I need to know, how much do you already know about Eevee?"

"Not too much," retorted Ash. "I know that Eevee belongs to your father, and Officer Jenny told me that Eevee is the offspring of your family's two most prized eevee. _Err…_that's pretty much it."

Right before Skylar was about to respond, he interrupted as another piece of information crossed his mind, "Oh, wait, and I know that Eevee is a girl. Your dad mentioned that when I gave Eevee's pokeball back to him."

"Gotcha'," answered Skylar. "So, going off of what you've told me, I'm assuming that you haven't actually met Eevee, right?"

"Right," answered Ash. "I didn't want to scare her, so I didn't release her at all before I gave the pokeball to your dad. I was hoping that he would introduce me to her after I handed her pokeball over to him, but he didn't."

"That doesn't surprise me," said Skylar with a sigh. "My dad probably didn't introduce you to Eevee because he didn't want you to get the wrong idea. First impressions are a big deal to him, so it makes sense that he wouldn't release Eevee around you."

A bewildered expression breached Ash's countenance.

"I don't understand. You make it sound like your dad's ashamed of Eevee."

"Well, I wouldn't say that he is ashamed of her," said Skylar. "However, you're not far off. If I were to describe their relationship in one word it would be 'dysfunctional'. They simply don't get along."

"Why?" questioned Ash. "I don't know your dad too well, but even I can tell that he is a good guy. I can't see him being a bad trainer."

"Oh, my dad is a _phenomenal_ trainer," answered Skylar, "and an even better person. It has nothing to do with his character or ability."

"Then what is it?" asked Ash.

"They're just not compatible," said Skylar, looking Ash in the eyes. "Have you ever heard of a pokemon coordinator?"

Ash nodded his head as an image of Wallace permeated his thoughts.

"Yeah," replied Ash, "I have a really good friend that's a coordinator. What about it?"

"Given what you've told me, I think it's safe to say that you are fully aware that my family makes a living off of eevee breeding, right?"

"Yeah," said Ash, "Officer Jenny told me."

"Did she tell you that my dad is also a world class pokemon coordinator?" asked Skylar with a hint of pride in her voice.

"Nope," said Ash, letting out a light chuckle, "she definitely failed to mention that."

"It's to be expected," said Skylar. "It's been a while since he has competed, but there was a time when he won the Kanto Grand Festival three years in a row and was widely recognized as the number one coordinator in all of Kanto."

Ash had to admit, he was surprised. Winning a Grand Festival was just as big of an accomplishment as winning a League tournament. For Ruphus to have done that three years in a row meant that he was more than just a good trainer. He was elite…maybe even a master.

"Three times in a row…" retorted Ash with a look of astonishment. "Are you kidding? That's beyond impressive. What kind of problem could Eevee have with a trainer like that?"

"There are actually two major issues that Eevee has with my dad," said Skylar with a frown.

She paused as she disembogued another deep sigh, "The first reason is that my dad doesn't take training seriously anymore. The majority of his pokemon are already ridiculously powerful, so it doesn't take that much effort to keep them in shape. For the most part, his pokemon handle their training on their own."

"However, he can't do that with the young eevee kits that he breeds. My dad doesn't have the time or patience to give them the kind of attention they need. Normally, it doesn't matter. Being a famous breeder, my dad's eevee typically sell for a large sum of money while they are still eggs or immediately after they hatch…"

Ash listened attentively, trying his best to comprehend everything that Skylar was telling him.

"But, the Eevee you saved is special. My dad couldn't sell her."

"Why not?" asked Ash, interrupting. "Doesn't she have incredible genes or something like that? I feel like she would sell in a heartbeat."

"Your misunderstanding," retorted Skylar. "It's not that nobody would buy her. My dad didn't sell Eevee because he couldn't bring himself to do it. She's that extraordinary of a specimen."

"Yeah, like I said, Officer Jenny told me about that," said Ash.

"_Mhmm..._But, it goes beyond the fact that she's the daughter of my dad's two most treasured eevee," said Skylar with a nod. "That's just the tip of the iceberg. There's a lot more to her than that."

"…Like?" questioned Ash with intrigued eyes.

"You'll see when you meet her," said Skylar with a wink. "Until then, it'll be better if it stays a surprise."

"Well, when am I going to meet her?" asked Ash.

"Whenever my parents get back," said Skylar, with a grin. "Now that you two have gotten a chance to get to know each other, my dad shouldn't have a problem introducing you to Eevee."

"Are you sure?" asked Ash. "I don't want to make him feel uncomfortable if I don't have to."

"It won't be a big deal," said Skylar, waving him off. "Anyways, the point that I was originally trying to make is that Eevee holds a grudge against my father because he has never been able to give her the kind of attention she needs. Her potential is through the roof, but my father doesn't have the time to help her realize it."

She paused, "It's actually kind of sad."

"Yeah, it is," said Ash with a frown. "I can see why Eevee's upset. She wants your dad to train her like he trained his other powerful pokemon."

He paused, "but at the same time, I can understand where your dad is coming from. He has a lot of other responsibilities, and Eevee wants more from him than he's willing to give at this point in his life."

"Exactly," said Skylar. "Neither is wrong, yet neither of them in necessarily right."

"I can see how that would be frustrating for both of them," said Ash as a thought jumped out at him.

He scratched the back of his head while asking a question, "What does all of that have to do with your dad being a pokemon coordinator, though?"

"Well," answered Skylar with a frown, "the fact that my dad is a pokemon coordinator is the _other _reason why Eevee and my dad don't get along."

"Why is that?" asked Ash.

"Once you meet Eevee, it's pretty self-explanatory," said Skylar with a bit of amusement in her voice, "but since she's not here, I guess I'll just explain."

She let out a sigh while simultaneously readjusting her pillow, "Unlike the rest of my dad's pokemon, Eevee has an uncanny thirst for battle."

"Don't pokemon contests involve battling, though?" asked Ash.

"They do," retorted Skylar with a nod. "Pokemon contests have a battle round."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Pokemon contest battles are a lot different than traditional battles," explained Skylar. "They're less about flat-out defeating your opponent and more about showing off your pokemon's style and skill."

She paused, making sure Ash was following what she was saying.

"Despite the fact that Eevee is an absolutely gorgeous specimen, her personality doesn't match-up well with a coordinator. She's a complete firecracker that couldn't care less about things like style and appeal."

"When Eevee battles, she wants to dismantle her opponent. Her battle style's tenacious, and she has a vigorous spirit. Simply put, she's not cut-out to compete in contests. And, even though my dad is a skilled trainer, he's not cut-out to deal with a pokemon like Eevee. She needs a trainer that desires battle just as much as her. She needs a traditional trainer…not a coordinator."

"I see…" drawled Ash, "so that's why you ran away with Eevee. You think you can be the trainer that Eevee needs."

"Unfortunately," said Skylar, lowering her eyebrows "you're wrong. I may have ran away with Eevee, for Eevee's sake, but it's not because I think I could do a better job training her than my dad."

She shook her head, "Just like my dad, my dream is to become a world renowned pokemon coordinator someday. Although Eevee and I get along, I'm afraid that we would eventually prove to be incompatible as well."

"But, Officer Jenny said that you wanted to make Eevee your starter," replied Ash.

"Officer Jenny must have misunderstood," said Skylar. "My parents probably did as well. I've never had any intention to make Eevee my starter."

"Then, why?" asked Ash, confused. "Why did you run away with Eevee? I don't get it."

"I was looking for a suitable trainer," retorted Skylar matter-of-factly.

"Oh…" murmured Ash.

He froze for a second, "although I don't quite understand why you had to leave Celadon for something like that?"

"Believe me," said Skylar, "I tried looking for someone in Celadon, but I couldn't find anyone. I mean, I came across plenty of powerful trainers, however, none of them seemed like the right choice."

"What do you mean?" queried Ash. "I thought all you cared about was whether or not they were a traditional trainer and had a strong thirst for battle?"

"Come on, Ash," replied Skylar. "It's not like I would just hand Eevee over to anyone. It would have to be someone that I trust."

"Fair enough," said Ash. "Just thought I'd ask."

She shook her head before continuing, "Anyways, I'm glad I was picky because I got pretty close to giving Eevee away to this guy named Petrel when—"

"Wait a second!" interrupted Ash. "You were going to give Eevee to Exe—I mean the manager of the Game Corner!"

Skylar's eyes widened the second Ash mentioned the Game Corner.

"Petrel works for the Game Corner?" questioned Skylar with a look of disgust. "No wonder Eevee hated him."

"Hold on," said Ash, trying his best to calm down. "How did you meet Petrel?"

"_Err…_let's see," said Skylar, "I believe I was over by the Department Store when I saw him battling against a couple of strong looking trainers. Even though the trainers he was up against were clearly experienced, his hypno wiped the floor with them in a matter of seconds. I'd never seen anything quite like it."

She paused, "After the battle was over, I introduced myself to Petrel. He seemed like a decent guy, so I asked him if he would be interested in training Eevee. He agreed, and I released Eevee."

"And?" questioned Ash.

"Well, let's just say Eevee _really_ didn't like him," said Skylar. "I mean, Eevee's not always the friendliest pokemon. But, the moment I released her, she was on edge. It was bizarre. I thought she was going to attack him."

Ash gulped. Petrel must have given off a nasty vibe to garner that kind of reaction.

"As soon as I saw the way Eevee acted around him," continued Skylar, "I immediately changed my mind."

"How did he respond?" asked Ash .

"Well, he wasn't very happy," said Skylar. "As soon as he saw Eevee, I could tell that he was fixated on the idea of training her. However, he didn't seem too mad. Then again, we were in public, so it's not like he would have done anything outrageous."

Ash had to admit, Skylar did have a point. From what he had heard about Petrel, he knew that he was smart enough to suppress an emotional outburst. It was more likely that someone like Petrel would wait for a more opportunistic time to take Eevee rather than do something to garner unwanted attention.

"You have a good point," said Ash.

"How do you know Petrel?" asked Skylar, cocking her head curiously.

"I don't know him personally," replied Ash. "I've just heard some bad things about him."

"Like?"

"Just some strange stuff about how he runs the Game Corner," lied Ash. "Nothing too big; he just sounds like a shady guy."

"Oh, I see..." drawled Skylar. "I'm glad I didn't give Eevee to him then."

"I'm glad you didn't either," said Ash, thinking about his battle against the three Rocket grunts.

It was apparent that Petrel sent his men after Skylar as soon as she left Celadon. He probably waited until Skylar was isolated to make his move. That way, there wouldn't be any witnesses. It was a smart plan. If Ash hadn't been there, he likely would have gotten away with it too. Luckily, he was at the right place at the right time.

"Anyways," said Ash, trying to change the subject, "What are you going to do after you get released from the Pokemon Center? You're not going to run away again, are you?"

"I wasn't planning on it," said Skylar, shaking her head. "I learned my lesson. Besides, there's no need for me to leave again. At least, until I go on my own _proper _journey."

"What do you mean?" asked Ash. "What about Eevee?"

"Well, I've got one last idea about what to do with Eevee," retorted Skylar with a shrug. "If it doesn't work out, I'm afraid things are just going to have to stay how they are."

"What's your idea?"

Skylar smirked as she looked Ash in the eyes.

Ash looked at Skylar with an astonished expression while using his index finger to point at himself.

"M-me," stammered Ash, "but why?"

"Isn't that obvious," said Skylar with a smile. "You saved my life, and you were strong enough to get Eevee back from those thugs. If anyone can draw out her potential it's you."

She paused, "Besides, right before you arrived, my parents were debating a way to repay you for what you did. I can't think of a better reward."

"That would be unbelievable," replied Ash, trying his best not to get his hopes up, "but what makes you think that your dad would go for it? Isn't it his decision to make?"

"I know that…" groaned Skylar with a frown, "that's why I said, if it doesn't work out things will have to stay the way they are."

She let out a sigh as she pointed at Ash's waist, "If it were up to me, Eevee's pokeball would already be attached to your belt."

"I'm flattered that you think I'm capable of training Eevee," said Ash, "but I don't think that I can ask that of your dad. Eevee's his. He chose not to sell her, so it's obvious to me that she holds a special place in his heart."

He paused as he thought about his next words carefully, "I can see why you tried to find a suitable trainer for Eevee, but that doesn't mean it was the right thing to do. Regardless of whether or not they get along, Eevee is your dad's partner. I couldn't possibly ask to come between the two of them."

Skylar looked at him with a blank expression.

"Fine," said Skylar.

"So, you see where I'm coming from?" asked Ash. "As much as I would have loved to train Eevee, it just isn't righ—"

"Then, I'll ask him," interjected Skylar with another smirk.

Ash blinked.

"That's not the point!" shouted Ash, causing Skylar to burst out into laughter.

"Relax, Ash," said Skylar in between laughter. "What's the worst thing that could happen? Even if the request came from you, it's not like he would be offended."

"You may be right," retorted Ash, "but—"

"Besides…" said Skylar, interrupting Ash once again "I have a feeling my dad's going to say—"

"Yes!" exclaimed a voice, coming directly behind Ash.

Ash didn't even have to turn around to know that the voice belonged to Ruphus.

"My answer is yes," said Ruphus as Ash turned around to face him and Ellen, who were standing just inside of the hospital room's doorway.

"Huh?" questioned Ash with an incredulous look on his face. "What do you mean, yes? I-I can train _your_ eevee?"

"Well," retorted Ruphus, "depending on whether or not Eevee is okay with it, yes, you may train my eevee. Although, at that point, she would no longer be mine but yours."

"But, why?" asked Ash, stunned.

"Didn't we tell you that we would find a proper way to repay you for what you have done for this family?" inserted Ellen as she walked over to Ash and crouched down to his level.

"Trust me," added Ruphus, gesturing toward Ellen, "neither my wife nor I are happy that Skylar took things into her own hands. But, like you, we can understand why she did what she did. My relationship with Eevee is a complicated one—filled with a lot of pain and disappointment. Even though I don't think that it is beyond repair, it would be better for her to be with a young trainer that can help her realize her dreams."

He paused as a frown crept across his face, "Unfortunately, I cannot be what she needs. Fifteen years ago, I could have, but not now. I've already sailed way past my prime. She needs someone like you: someone who's just getting started, someone whose drive and potential rival her own."

Ash looked back at Skylar who flashed him a sparkling grin in return. He smiled as he watched her mouth the words "I told you" without using her voice.

"Ash," said Ruphus, taking back the dark-haired boy's attention as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a shrunken pokeball.

The head of the Worthington family enlarged Eevee's pokeball before continuing, "Would you like to meet her?"

Ash took a moment to respond, having been caught in the marvel of the moment.

After taking a couple of seconds to process what was going on, he nodded.

Ruphus smiled as he pressed the release button, unleashing a radiance of white light. It lasted for a brief moment before fading away, leaving a small kit in its stead.

Ash's jaw dropped when he saw the specimen.

No wonder Ruphus couldn't find it in his heart to sell her.

No wonder Skylar pushed the fact that there was more to Eevee than just her lineage.

No wonder Petrel wanted her so bad.

…Her burnished, silver coat was absolutely _stunning._

XXX

To be continued…

XXX

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, especially the scenes with the Worthingtons. Like I said in the earlier author note, this was my first time giving you two chapters in one month. I thought it would be a great way to begin 2016. Things should pick up a lot next chapter. I'm not willing to guarantee that I finish the Celadon Arc in Kanto 11, but I should make a lot of progress. Anyways, don't forget to favorite and review! Moreover, remember to check my profile periodically in between chapters, I try and let you know weekly regarding the status of the upcoming chapter!

Thanks for Reading!

Much love, vincentgrey21.


	11. Kanto 11

A/N: Just like last chapter, PM me if you find any typos. I edited it on word, but sometimes when the document is uploaded onto the site, it creates weird spaces and omits things. Anyways, enjoy Kanto 11!

Kanto 11: Essence

"She's gorgeous…" muttered Ash, in between blinks, as he gawked at the silver coated eevee.

Throughout his journey, he had seen a lot of beautiful pokemon, but Eevee, well…let's just say that she was near the top of his list.

Her fur glimmered as she looked around the hospital room with befuddled eyes, trying her best to get a grip over her current whereabouts. Ash took Eevee's brief moment of confusion as an opportunity to take a good look at her…

Her primarily silver pelt covered all of the areas where a normaleevee's fur would be brown, and the tip of her bushy tail as well as her large furry collar were as white as snow. The insides of her long, pointed ears were black instead of brown, while the rest of her features were the same as a typical eevee.

It was obvious the moment that she was released that Eevee was as special as Skylar had made her out to be. She was born with one of the two scientifically recognized genetic mutations. Eevee was what researchers referred to as shiny_._

Now, despite their rarity, Eevee wasn't the first alternate colored pokemon that Ash had seen. There was Wallace's wailord, Kent's arcanine, and Ash could never forget Dragonite. However, although Ash had seen shiny pokemon before, this was the first time that he actually considered the possibility of having one of his own.

Finding pokemon belonging to the handful of species that he was interested in was difficult enough, so he had always thought that seeking after special specimens, like Eevee, was a waste of time. Granted, it's not like meeting Eevee had changed the way he would go about his journey, but it did shine a light on a couple of things.

First of all, even if Eevee chose not to let him train her, he was _extremely_ lucky. Most people would consider themselves fortunate if they got to see a single mutated pokemon in their entire lifetime.

Ash had seen several, and if things went well, he'd have an opportunity to train two unique cases in Pidgeotto and Eevee.

Secondly, Ash had come to the conclusion that destiny had a tendency to be ironic. Just yesterday, he had been complaining to Sabrina about how he had failed to catch an abra on his way to Celadon. He really wanted that abra, and destiny had seemingly gone out of its way _not_ to deliver.

Even though eevee was a species that Ash was heavily interested in, he hadn't sought one out. Be that as it may, an eevee was what stood in front of him. He wanted an abra, but destiny was delivering to him a silver eevee.

Ash couldn't help but internally

laugh. As much as he cursed destiny for asking so much of him, it sure could be incredible when it wanted to be…

All of a sudden, Ash was ripped from his thoughts when Eevee dashed over to the inclined hospital bed and leaped into Skylar's lap.

Skylar let out a brief burst of playful laughter as Eevee pressed her nose up against her cheek, taking in her scent. Once Eevee was finished, she used her eyes to examine Skylar's body as a whole – making sure that she was okay – before lying down at the foot of the bed.

"I'm so happy to see you," said Skylar, greeting Eevee, who responded by looking back up at her with amicable eyes.

"Oh, Eevee, honey!" exclaimed Ellen, interrupting Skylar and the evolution pokemon's moment as she reached over to wrap Eevee up in one of her suffocating hugs.

Ash chuckled under his breath as he watched Ellen grasp at an after-image. By the way that Eevee instinctually jumped over her head and landed gracefully on the floor in front of Ruphus, it was apparent that she had loads of experience avoiding Mrs. Worthington's hugs.

As Ellen crashed face first into the bed, Ruphus bent down on one knee in order to properly welcome Eevee.

"Hello, Eevee," said Ruphus in a soothing voice as he gently stroked behind one of the kit's ears. "I'm glad you're safe."

Eevee's eyes narrowed as Ruphus petted her. Despite the fact that she allowed him to touch her, it was clear that she didn't like it. Ash could instantly tell that they didn't mesh well; just watching them together made him feel uncomfortable. It was as if they were two divergent puzzle pieces that someone was trying to jam together.

Their relationship just seemed unnatural...

"I want to introduce someone to you," said Ruphus to Eevee as he used his hand to gesture towards Ash.

Now, Eevee had already glanced at him a few times, but it wasn't until Ruphus pointed over in his direction that Eevee actually acknowledged his presence in a significant manner.

"This is Ash," said Ruphus with a smile. "He's a friend and a very talented pokemon trainer. He saved you and Skylar from some bad guys that were trying to take you away."

The moment Ruphus mentioned the fact that he was a pokemon trainer, Eevee's ears twitched and her eyes intensified. She pulled away from Ruphus before approaching Ash with a look of intrigue.

"Hey, Eevee," said Ash, squatting down to her level, "I've heard a lot about you. I'm glad we're finally getting the chance to meet."

Memories of the moment he first met Growlithe flashed within his head. This experience was oddly similar. It felt like déjà vu as he reached his hand out for Eevee to sniff.

Without a hint of hesitation, Eevee pressed her black nose up against Ash's palm and smelt it.

Now, although eevee were blessed with a great sense of smell, they couldn't pick up emotions like Growlithe, and their intuitions weren't nearly as savvy as other fox-like species such as the two species belonging to the vulpix line.

However, just because her sense of smell wasn't otherworldly that didn't mean that she couldn't get some useful information about Ash from his scent.

Once Eevee was done exploring Ash with her nose, she took a couple of steps backward before locking eyes with him. Despite the fact that he had just met Eevee, he could tell by the challenging look in her eyes that she wanted to test his strength.

"She wants a battle," said Ash, standing up straight and planting his line of sight on Ruphus.

"I see that," retorted Ruphus with a smirk. "She doesn't act this way around just anyone. I think she's already taken somewhat of a liking to you."

"What part of wanting to battle makes you think that she likes me?" asked Ash, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," said Ruphus, "Eevee isn't one to show that she likes someone through traditional means. The fact that she wants to challenge you means that she's at the very least interested in you, which is definitely saying something."

"Really?" queried Ash, squinting his eyes in confusion, "but I haven't even done anything."

"My dad's right," inserted Skylar, causing Ash to pivot his glance over to his new friend. "When Eevee was born, for the first two months of her life, she wouldn't even look at me. The fact that she was willing to look you in the eyes means that she likes you."

Going off of what the Worthingtons were saying about Eevee, and then seeing her behavior, Ash could tell that she had a very unique and arduous personality. She was a tiny, silver, bundle of arrogant sass. It was obvious to Ash that she only acknowledged the strong, and she didn't want to waste her time frolicking around with those that couldn't help her realize her potential.

If Ash ended up walking away from Celadon with Eevee's pokeball attached to his belt, he had to be prepared for a challenging relationship. Eevee's attitude had the potential to be problematic.

Fortunately, Ash had a track record for taming ambitious personalities.

"You want a battle, eh?" asked Ash, eyeing Eevee with a tenacious expression.

A small smirk formed on Eevee's face, and her irises went ablaze as she nodded. She then looked up at Ruphus with desire felt eyes, wishing for his approval.

"Are you asking for my permission?" questioned Ruphus, surprised. "That's new."

"I think she's trying to give Ash a good first impression," said Skylar, astonished as well.

"Is that so, Eevee!?" asked Ruphus in between laughter.

The evolution pokemon responded by pointing her nose and looking the other direction, unwilling to admit that she was trying to come off as at least somewhat obedient.

"I see, I see, this definitely is interesting," said Ruphus, focusing his eyes on Eevee as if she was the only one else in the room.

Suddenly, Ruphus' disposition went from light-hearted to serious like the flip of a switch, "I'll let you battle Ash, but before you do there's something that I need to ask you."

Eevee focused her fiery eyes back on Ruphus as she cocked her head in a curious manner.

"When Ash leaves Celadon, would you like to go with him?"

Eevee's eyes widened, and her ears quivered, reacting to Ruphus' words. She took a moment to process what her trainer had just asked before pivoting her glance back-and-forth between Ruphus and Ash.

For the first time since he had met her, Eevee looked hesitant. Ash wasn't sure, but it looked like deep down inside Eevee truly did care about Ruphus. He was the only trainer she had ever known after all.

"I know that you and Skylar were out looking for someone that could properly train you, so you can cut the act."

Within the blink of an eye, Eevee went from hesitant to her typical impudent countenance. Ash couldn't help but internally scoff. Not only was she audacious and self-absorbed, but she could put on a believable façade as well.

Ash shook his head and smiled half-heartedly.

…Without a doubt, she would be difficult.

"I know this is something that you want," continued Ruphus, "and I'm not going to act like it isn't something that I've been thinking about as well."

Eevee stared at him with a blank expression. It seemed as though she didn't care that Ruphus was more than okay with her.

"I can personally vouch for Ash that he is a competent young trainer," said Ruphus, bringing his eyes over to Ash, "and he is a traditional battler, so his training style is more inclined to your interests. Last but not least, if it weren't for him, you'd be under the control of some _really _bad people, and Skylar..."

He paused, choosing not to finish what he was about to say, "The point is, we owe him. And I think that it will benefit everyone, including yourself, if you join him on his journey."

Once again, Eevee stood still for a second, soaking in what Ruphus was telling her. She then flashed him a look that signified what he recognized as consideration before turning around and walking over to Ash.

Ash planted his eyes on Eevee as she approached him.

"What do you thin—" managed Ash prior to being interrupted by a snarling Eevee.

"Eevee!" howled Ellen, speaking up for the first time in a while. "Why are you—"

"Don't worry, Mom," interjected Skylar, causing Ellen to go silent. "That isn't a hostile growl. She's just trying to tell Ash something."

"What is it?" asked Ellen inquisitively.

"I think…" started Skylar.

"She's issuing a challenge," finished Ruphus. "Eevee's decision relies on whether or not Ash can beat her in battle. If Ash wins, she'll go with him. If he loses, he doesn't have what it takes to train her."

"Challenge accepted!" exclaimed Ash with vigor in his intonation.

He paused as he shifted his attention toward Ruphus, "that is, of course, if you are absolutely sure that this is alright."

"I'm sure," said Ruphus, nodding his head as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "My decision has already been made. The rest is up to you."

"Understood," Ash replied with a smirk before refocusing on Eevee, "let's do this then."

Ash saw a small, determined smile form on Eevee's face as she let out a confirmatory yap.

"Now, calm down you two," said Ruphus, clearly amused. "Don't forget that were in the middle of a hospital room."

Both of them surveyed their surroundings for a moment before relaxing.

Eevee let out an abraded sigh, whereas Ash simply scratched his head in embarrassment.

"I forgot where I was for a second," said Ash sheepishly.

He folded his arms as a thought crossed his mind, "There's a training facility in the Recreational Wing. We could battle there."

"Good idea," said Ruphus with a smile. "That sounds much better than a hospital room."

Everyone in the room chuckled at Ruphus' jest before Eevee interrupted with a series of mulish yaps.

"Alright," replied Ash. "She's getting antsy. What do you think? Should we head over to the training facility, now?"

"That's fine with—" managed Ruphus before being interrupted by Skylar.

"Hold on a second!" yelled Skylar, catching everyone's attention. "If you guys go now, I won't be able to watch the battle!"

Ash and Ruphus nodded, understanding where Skylar was coming from, whereas Eevee simply rolled her eyes.

"She's got a point," said Ruphus, scratching the back of his head. "Nurse Joy won't permit Skylar to leave this room for a couple of days. She still needs to rest a little bit before having another in-depth evaluation."

"Gotcha'," said Ash as he fiddled with one of the zippers on his jacket.

He took a moment to think before laying his eyes on the silver coated kit, "Sorry, Eevee, but we're going to have to postpone our battle until Skylar gets released by Nurse Joy."

Eevee's entire body slouched in response to what Ash had just told her. It was clear that she was disappointed. At the moment, there was nothing she wanted to do more than battle him.

"It's only right that Skylar gets a chance to watch," said Ash in a firm voice.

"Are you sure?" questioned Skylar in a much more placid tone. "Now that I think about it, I don't want to be a nuisance."

"Don't worry about it," said Ash. "You should be there, especially after everything that you have done for Eevee."

"Thanks," replied Skylar, "that means a lot.

"No need to thank me," said Ash with a smile before surveying everyone in the room. "Besides, it's not like I'll be going anywhere. I still have a lot of things that I have to do in Celadon before I leave."

Skylar reciprocated Ash's smile as her father walked over to him and grasped his shoulder.

"Okay, then," said Ruphus after clearing his throat, "how about this…"

He paused, giving everyone an opportunity to listen, "Ash, why don't we go our separate ways for the moment? We can plan on meeting at the training facility three days from now. That should give Skylar plenty of time to recover, and you'll be able to see most of Celadon."

"I think that's a splendid idea, honey!" blurted Ellen, who was sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, obnoxiously clapping for her husband.

"Sounds good to me," retorted Ash before looking down at Eevee. "You can be patient, right?"

Eevee huffed, letting everyone in the room know that she didn't want to wait. However, it didn't take long for her to follow up her sigh with a nod. She wasn't going to risk giving up such a great opportunity for something as trivial as her own impatience.

"It's been decided, then," said Ruphus with a smile. "The battle between Ash and Eevee will take place three days from now."

Ash smirked as he locked eyes with a confident Eevee.

Despite her arrant attitude, he couldn't wait to make the stunning, silver kit a part of his team.

XXX

"Thanks for the ride," said Ash to Officer Jenny as he and Growlithe hopped out of the backseat of the Police SUV.

"No problem, kid," retorted Jenny, rolling down both windows on the passenger side of the vehicle.

She paused as she waited for Ash to walk up to the front window, "Besides, I should be the one thanking you. Because of you, I don't have to worry about Petrel anymore. I can't explain how big of a relief it is to know that Sabrina Marvil is going to handle the Game Corner."

"I can only imagine," said Ash with a smile as he felt Growlithe brush up against his leg.

To be honest, Ash hadn't been expecting Officer Jenny to relinquish her desire to take down Petrel so easily. He didn't know why, but before meeting with Jenny, he was under the impression that she would try and create her own role within Sabrina's plan.

It's possible that he thought this because he was subconsciously putting Celadon's Chief Jenny in his favorite Jenny's shoes. _That_ Jenny doubtlessly would have used the entirety of the Celadon Police Department to invade the Game Corner as if they were a flock of relentless fearow.

Whatever the case may be, Ash wouldn't spend too much time dwelling on it. He was just happy that Officer Jenny was onboard with leaving things to Sabrina. The fact that Jenny was so compliant made things easy. Ever since his conversation with Sabrina, he was afraid that he would be forced to argue with a police chief.

Thankfully, things unfolded in a much more pleasant manner...

"Anyways, I'm sure we'll see each other again at some point," said Officer Jenny, putting her SUV in drive. "Until then, enjoy Celadon."

"You're probably right," retorted Ash, backing up onto the busy sidewalk, "and I will."

She placed her hands on the steering wheel and was about to pull away when she froze, catching Ash's attention.

"Oh, yeah, before I take off," said Jenny, lowering her sunglasses, "it would be in your best interest to follow Sabrina's advice and stay away from the Game Corner. Whether you know it or not, you're the type that has a tough time resisting danger. However, this time, if you stick your nose where it doesn't belong, it's likely that you or someone else will get hurt."

She paused, "Please, just do everyone a favor, and stay out of trouble."

"I-I understand," stammered Ash.

"Good," retorted Officer Jenny, releasing the brake and stepping on the gas. "See ya later, ki…"

Her voice faded as the black and white vehicle drove off. By the time Ash got ready to say goodbye, all he could do was wave. Apparently, Officer Jenny wasn't a fan of subtle farewells.

"Well, that was weird…" drawled Ash, gazing down at his starter, "she was pretty adamant about us not going to the Game Corner."

Growlithe nodded, letting Ash know that he was listening.

"I mean, it's not as if Sabrina didn't already get the point across," added Ash, thinking back on what she said about revoking his license and sending him home to his mother.

Ash watched Growlithe shake his head in amusement as he flared his nostrils.

"What?" queried Ash, raising both of his eyebrows. "You don't believe me?"

Growlithe looked up at him with questioning eyes, letting Ash know that he was skeptical.

"Whatever," snorted Ash, folding his arms and turning the opposite direction, "I might be reckless from time to time, but I'm not dumb enough to oppose Sabrina and Officer Jenny."

Out of the corner of his eye, Ash saw his puppy pokemon give him a look that read, '_you're full of crap'._

"Okay, okay," said Ash, "I know I've done the opposite of what they've said before, but I would never ignore both of them at the same time."

Growlithe simply took his eyes off of Ash, choosing not to take part in his moment of immaturity any longer.

Once Ash realized that Growlithe was no longer interested in his childish behavior, he let out a deep sigh before finally taking notice to his surroundings.

The first thing that caught his attention was the large, inordinate building that stood directly in front of him. Ash got excited just by looking at it. After all, he had been looking forward to this moment since the beginning of his journey.

Straight ahead was the Celadon Department Store…

Its external appearance wasn't quite as ensnaring as Silph Co. Headquarters, but the building's significance reminded him a lot of the massive skyscraper in Saffron. In that regard, it was like he was standing in the middle of Saffron all over again. He couldn't help but picture Robert and Bill welcoming him the moment he walked through one of the sets of large, revolving doors.

"Awesome..." he muttered as he began to look over the building in finer detail.

In terms of height, it wasn't even close to being as tall as Silph Co. Headquarters. If Ash were to take a guess, he would say that it was roughly half as tall as Saffron's airy skyscraper. However, at first glance, he would guess that it was greater in terms of overall breadth. Obviously, he hadn't been inside it yet, but he was under the impression that each level was much bigger than Silph Co. Headquarters' floors.

Like Silph Co. Headquarters, it was a rather modern looking building. Ash wouldn't say that it was as contemporary as Celadon's pokemon center – which had recently been remodeled – but it was way more up-to-date than any of the large buildings that Ash remembered from some of Kanto's less populated cities.

The two things that stood out to Ash the most about the Department Store were its unique shape and color scheme. It would be an understatement to say that it stuck out like a sore thumb, but that was the only way that Ash could describe it.

From his point of view, it looked like a bulky, sky-blue, crescent moon that was lying on its side. It was arcing toward him, and jetting out of the center of it were three massive, rectangular columns that erected towards the top of the moon shaped building.

Each one of the three columns was painted a different primary color: the one on the left was red, the one on the right was yellow, and the one in the center was blue. Resting on top of the blue, center column was a giant, dark blue cube that had the image of a white pokeball etched into it…

As soon as Ash was done taking in the Department Store's outer appearance, he planted his eyes back on Growlithe.

"Let's go check it out," said Ash, gesturing for Growlithe to follow him over to one of the front entrances.

As they approached the building, Ash made sure to get a good look at the scenery around it.

Encompassing the Department Store were several less significant buildings. Most of them were decent-sized commercial buildings that belonged to a plethora of different companies. Ash hadn't heard of most of the corporations, but he recognized a few of them that had a niche in the pokemon industry.

Other than commercial buildings, he noticed a few luxurious apartments and a handful of high-quality restaurants. Ash had a feeling that it cost a fortune to live anywhere in Celadon's jet set northwestern district – let alone within walking distance – but for those that didn't have to worry about money, he could see the draw.

Another thing that Ash thought was noteworthy, although it wasn't all that surprising, was the sheer amount of people in the area. It was midday, so it was obvious that there would be thousands of people pouring in and out of a place as alluring and popular as the Celadon Department Store.

But, it didn't stop there. As Ash and Growlithe pushed their way through the busy conflux of people, he realized that a lot of them were just loitering around. It was evident that the area surrounding the Department Store was a popular hangout spot for Celadon's civilians.

There were several groups of people sitting down and chatting on city benches. He saw a multitude of people – of all ages – relaxing with their pokemon in the grassy parts of the thoroughfare, and Ash caught glimpses of citizens that were taking part in outdoor activities such as throwing a frisbee or skating around on rollerblades.

The pleasant atmosphere and good vibes that were being distributed throughout the area made being around such an absurd amount of people _way_ more bearable, especially for Growlithe.

The pup didn't seem to be bothered by their surroundings, so Ash no longer feared the day that Growlithe battled in front of thousands of people. His social anxiety was no longer debilitating, albeit Ash still couldn't help but lookout for signs of it resurfacing just in case…

All thoughts of the area encircling the Department Store came to an end when Ash and Growlithe reached one of the front entrances. At that point, he thought about returning Growlithe. Howbeit, he changed his mind when he saw a surplus of trainers entering and exiting with their pokemon by their sides.

Once they came to the realization that the Department Store allowed pokemon, the two friends waited for a safe time to enter through the revolving, glass door before stepping inside the building.

Ash's eyes widened. Right away, the first-level took him back to the first time he stepped foot inside of Silph Co. Headquarters.

After taking a moment to soak in his surroundings, one thought reverberated within his mind.

…It was time to explore.

XXX

Even though Ash enjoyed the first two floors, he made it through without spending a dime.

The first floor was primarily made up of an oversized food court and non-pokemon related retail stores. Ash could definitely tell that Silph Co. Headquarters' newly remodeled first-level was built with the Department's Store's first floor in mind; they were almost mirror images of one another.

Likewise, the Department Store's second floor was nearly a carbon-copy of the third floor of Silph Co. Headquarters. It was a massive pokemart that operated at a highly efficient level.

Now, Ash recalled Robert telling him that Silph Co. Headquarters' pokemart was even bigger than the one in the Celadon Department Store. If that truly was the case, Ash couldn't tell. They were both unlike any other pokemart he had been to: massive, well-staffed, up-to-date and always fully stocked.

As to be expected, when Ash and Growlithe were on the second floor, the dark-haired boy figured he might as well re-up on some of the supplies that he would need when he left Celadon. Of course, it didn't cost him anything. Now that he had the Silph Co. platinum card that he had gotten from Robert, anything sold at a pokemart was his for free.

Speaking of his platinum card, the reaction he received from the cashier that checked him out was priceless.

Before seeing the platinum card, while scanning his items, the young teenager was working on auto-pilot. She was polite, but Ash could tell that she wasn't all there mentally. I mean, who would be after standing behind a counter for so long?

However, when it was time for him to pay, and he showed her his card, she stopped dead in her tracks, looking at him as if he had just transformed into a dratini.

Ash wasn't too surprised. According to Robert, there were only a handful of people in the whole world that had a Silph Co. platinum card, and Ash was without a doubt the youngest out of all of them. If anything, he was surprised that all of the employees were aware of the cards' existence.

Whatever the case may be, using the platinum card had been convenient and entertaining at the same time, making his trip through the Department Store's second floor satisfying…

After making their way through the Department Store's first two levels, Ash and Growlithe finally found themselves on the third floor, which was what Ash had been looking forward to the most.

Sure, he was fascinated by the Department Store as a whole, but this was what he had been anxiously awaiting ever since he set his sights on Celadon. Occupying the third floor was the Department Store's world famous TM Shop, which was where hundreds of TMs – manufactured by Silph Co. and Zeta Corps – could be purchased by the general public.

"Whoa…" drawled Ash, slack-jawed as he and Growlithe surveyed their surroundings.

Although it wasn't as big as the Department Store's pokemart, the TM Shop was still a large store. It was arranged similarly to a pokemart, using big signs that cascaded from the ceiling to indicate which TMs could be found in which aisle.

Judging by the fact that each sign had a different pokemon type etched into it, Ash assumed that the TMs were organized accordingly. The only exception was the sign suspended over the first aisle – all the way to the left – which read: TM Cases.

"Let's start over there," said Ash to Growlithe as he pointed over to the first aisle.

The only way to apply a TM was with a TM Case – which not only stored TMs, but also uploaded the information hidden within a TM into a pokemon's brain – so Ash figured that it was the best place to start. Once he found the TM Case that he wanted, he would track down the TMs that he planned on buying for each of his pokemon.

Ash already had a general idea as to which TMs he was going to purchase. Throughout his trip to Celadon, he had used his pokedex to figure out which TMs each of his pokemon could learn. Based off of that information, he had decided on two TMs for each of his friends...

As they made their way over to Aisle One, Ash noticed that the TM Shop wasn't nearly as crowded as the other floors. At first, Ash was a bit curious as to why, but then he came to the conclusion that the reason why it was slower than the other levels was likely because TMs were expensive.

Not only that, but TMs didn't really appeal to anyone other than serious pokemon trainers.

The TM Shop wasn't like the Department Store's pokemart, where there were items that could be used by trainers and normal civilians. TMs were designed solely for trainers that were trying to give their pokemon an edge. Thus, the people that visited the TM Shop – that were actually looking to buy something – were primarily trainers that were bound and determined when it came to enhancing the skills of their pokemon.

Simply put, the TM Shop's target market was a lot smaller than the Pokemart or the non-pokemon related shops on the first floor, so it only made sense that it wasn't as busy. It may have been the most compelling floor to Ash, but the same thing couldn't be said about the rest of the people that were visiting the Department Store…

Anyways, the second Ash stepped foot into the TM Shop's first aisle, he tried his best to put a stop to all of his distracting thoughts. It was time for him to focus his attention on the TM Cases occupying the shelves around him.

From one side of the shop to the other were hundreds of different TM Cases. They were all packaged in medium-sized, white, cardboard boxes that showed an image of the case within them on the front. In addition to the image, there was also a load of information, regarding the TM Cases' specs, finely printed on the back and sides.

Now, despite the fact that Aisle One was practically overflowing with TM Cases that came in different shapes, colors and sizes, there were _technically _only two types that Ash had to choose from: the TM Case Mk I and the TM Case Mk II. Even though both the Mk I and the Mk II could properly store and apply TMs. Ash was only interested in the Mk II.

Both the Mk I and the Mk II had their pros and cons.

For starters, the Mk I was _way_ more affordable, which made it the more popular choice. It had been around longer, so it had a broader selection in terms of shapes, colors and size. Moreover, the smallest Mk I case, which could hold fifty TMs, far surpassed the largest Mk II case in terms of TM storage, which could only hold twenty-five.

Be that as it may, there was a feature that the Mk II had that appealed to Ash in a way that the Mk I never could.

Unlike the Mk I, the Mk II could reuse TMs.

The one major flaw of the Mk I was that after applying a TM, it wiped its drive, making it useless from that point forward. It took the data from the TM and directly transferred it into a pokemon's brain.

The Mk II was capable of reading the information on a TM, copying it onto the TM Case's internal drive, and then transferring the data into a pokemon's brain without wiping the TM.

Essentially, with the TM Case Mk II, you could use a single TM on multiple different pokemon as long as the pokemon you used it on were eligible to learn the TM's technique. In Ash's opinion, it was a cutting-edge tool that had the ability to open several new doors for any pokemon trainer.

Granted, the average trainer could never afford one, which was why they rarely sold and lacked the massive selection that the Mk I had.

Fortunately, due to the earnings he had received from coming in third place in the SS _Anne _tournament as well as the fact that he now had the Silph Co. platinum card, Ash could afford to break the bank and purchase one of the pricey, albeit remarkable, machines…

While sifting through the long aisle full of cases, Ash realized that only a small section of it had the Mk IIs. They were at the very end of the aisle—opposite of the shop's entrance. Even though Ash was fully aware that there weren't nearly as many Mk II models as there were Mk Is, Ash was shocked by the paltry selection.

It was actually kind of ironic. Despite the fact that the Mk II was by far the better TM Case, there were barely any, and they were forced to occupy the way back corner of the aisle.

Based off of ability, a machine like the TM Case Mk II should have been displayed at the front of the shop, for all eyes to see. Too bad it was _so _expensive. At this rate, it would end up getting discontinued, which only enhanced Ash's desire to purchase one regardless of the hefty price and lack of options…

"_Hmm…_" murmured Ash as he used his eyes to look over the shop's handful of Mk II models, "What do you think, Growlithe?"

He paused as he pointed at two distinct boxes, choosing to ignore the ridiculously steep price-tags that resided directly below their designated places on the shelf.

"If I have to, I can use one of my depository cases to hold the TMs we get, so size doesn't really matter," said Ash, pivoting his line of sight between the two objects.

"…These are the only two styles that I actually like, though."

The box to Ash's left had an image of a black, rectangular case with a white pokeball etched into ita. Below the white pokeball were the words, Zeta Corp, which were printed in bold, white letters.

The box on the right had an image of a—

Growlithe decisively used his nose to point at the box on the left while letting out a loud bark that caught the attention of some of the other shoppers in thea aisle.

"Really?" questioned Ash with a puzzled look, "but compared to the pikachu case don't you think it's kind of bor—"

Growlithe barked even louder this time, interrupting Ash as he pointed even more vigorously toward the black Zeta Corp's TM Case.

"Okay…" muttered Ash, scratching the back of his head, "and here I was thinking the pikachu case was kind of cool."

Growlithe responded by repetitively shaking his head

"Geez…" drawled Ash as he picked up the box containing the black Mk II case, "what's with you and pikachu?"

The puppy pokemon stared at him with befuddled eyes. It was as if Growlithe himself didn't understand the reason why he was dead set against the pikachu TM Case.

"Well, whatever," said Ash with a shrug as a funny thought crossed his mind. "I guess this pikachu case isn't a part of my destiny."

The puppy pokemon let out a quiet yip, agreeing with his trainer.

"Alright, then," retorted Ash. "Let's not waste anymore time then."

He paused, gesturing for Growlithe to follow him, "Come on. Let's go buy some TMs."

XXX

"Damn…" groaned Ash as he plopped his tired body onto the bed, "that was exhausting."

Growlithe leapt up after him before toppling over on his side next to Ash. It was evident that he was weary as well.

After finishing up at the TM Shop and spending the next few hours exploring the rest of the Celadon Department Store, Ash was forced to walk _all _the way back to the Pokemon Center.

Since he had gotten a ride to the Department Store from Officer Jenny, Ash had somehow forgotten to take into account the fact that he would need to find a ride back. Moreover, since he had spent all of his money at the Department Store – which he hadn't been planning on doing – he couldn't pay for a taxi or afford to catch a ride on the bus.

…Unfortunately, his platinum card wasn't good for something like public transportation; otherwise, he would have used that.

At the time, he thought about giving the station a call to see if Officer Jenny could pick him up, but he decided not to. She had already been gracious enough to drive him to the Department Store, and he didn't want to ask too much of her.

He also considered calling Ruphus, but he didn't want to take him or Ellen away from Skylar. She needed them more than he did.

At one point, he had even thought about riding Pidgeotto. However, he quickly discarded that idea.

Riding his overgrown avian would have taken an even greater toll on his body than a three-hour walk. On account of his travels, he was used to trekking long-distances by foot. He wasn't used to the rigorous after-effects of flying on a monstrously large bird without a saddle.

So, he walked…

Despite the fact that it wasn't exactly how Ash had envisioned spending the latter part of his day, it wasn't a bad experience.

First of all, he had the opportunity to see the entirety of Celadon's two northern districts, which was nice.

One of Ash's goals on his journey was to experience everything each city had to offer. The fact that he was forbidden by Sabrina and Officer Jenny from going to the Game Corner had definitely put a damper on his goal to explore Celadon. Howbeit, that didn't mean that he didn't want to see as much of the city as he could.

During the walk, Ash and Growlithe were able to see a plethora of intriguing shops, restaurants and city buildings. Ash didn't stop to check out all of them, but he found himself going into a few of the more fascinating establishments.

Granted, he couldn't buy anything, so it was aggravating from time to time, especially when he walked by an appetizing restaurant. Nonetheless, although he was starving by the time he got about halfway back to the Pokemon Center, he managed to enjoy his time traversing through the different places that captured his attention.

If he had to single out one place that stood out to him the most, it would be the Celadon Condominiums, previously known as the Celadon Mansion.

The Celadon Condominiums existed within a large, four-floored building that was right in the center of Celadon's two northern districts. Even though its name suggested that it was some sort of apartment building or cluster of condos, the Celadon Condominiums were actually the headquarters of several different technology based corporations.

Ash only took the time to check out the first floor, but as far as he could tell, it looked like a rather engrossing place. He wasn't the only person taking a look at some of the riveting electronics that were being produced inside of the momentous building.

Since he only gave himself a tour of the first-level, he wasn't sure exactly how much of it was available to the public. Judging by the fact that all of the different employees, from various different companies, were friendly and didn't seem to mind his presence, Ash figured that there weren't any extreme limitations…

Anyways, not only did his walk back to the Pokemon Center give him an opportunity to digest the northern part of the city, but it also gave him a chance to think about how he wanted to spend his next couple of days.

Before going to the Department Store, the only thing that was set in stone was his battle with Eevee, which was still three days from now. His walk to the Pokemon Center gave him some much needed time to figure out what he was going to get done in the meantime.

Of course, it was a given that he still had to take on Erika…

It would be awesome if he could challenge the Celadon Gym before his battle against Eevee, but it would be difficult to make that happen. The Celadon Gym was located in the furthest corner of the city's southwestern district. With no money, his only options were to either walk or ask someone he knew for a ride.

Unless he left early tomorrow morning, walking from the Pokemon Center to the Celadon Gym wasn't realistic. Celadon was a big city. Even if he walked straight there, with no breaks, it would take him at least a day to travel from one corner to the other. If he factored in the trip back, he would be looking at two full days of travel.

At the moment, a trip like that really didn't appeal to him, especially after his long walk back from the Department Store.

No, he'd rather bank on the chance that Ruphus or Ellen would drive him to the gym after his battle against Eevee. By that time, Skylar would be released from the Pokemon Center, and he wouldn't feel quite so bad about asking them.

…Besides, it's not like there weren't benefits to waiting

The Celadon Pokemon Center was one of the rare centers that had a training facility. He had decided that since he couldn't get to Erika's gym until after he battled Eevee, he might as well use the extra time to get some last minute training in.

His friends had plenty of things that they could work on, and it also gave him a chance to use some of the TMs that he purchased at the Department Store. In addition, there were a couple of other items he had gotten on the upper floors of the Department Store that he could begin to utilize.

All in all, now that he had the idea in his head, he was actually looking forward to spending a couple of days training with his pokemon. Since yesterday's battle against Team Rocket, he hadn't seen much of them. It would be nice to get to bond with them as they prepared for their upcoming match against Erika…

"What do you think about using the next few days to train?" Ash asked Growlithe, rolling over on his stomach. "We can touch up on some of the techniques we've been working on, and use a couple of the TMs that we just got."

Growlithe let out an affirmative yip. He didn't seem to have any objections.

"This will be our first _true _gym battle," added Ash with a smile. "I know we've trained hard over the past couple of weeks, but a little more practice won't hurt."

The puppy pokemon nodded his head elatedly. Ash could tell that he was excited.

"Alright," muttered Ash, slowly lifting his exhausted body up out of the bed, "I'm going to go take a shower before bed."

Growlithe let out a grunt, acknowledging Ash's words.

XXX

"Alright, guys," said Ash, catching the attention of all seven of his pokemon, "before we start, I have a couple of things that I want to say."

He paused, watching in amusement as they glanced back-and-forth at each other in a confused manner. Even while on the road, the only time all of them were outside of their pokeballs at the same time was when it was time to eat.

Simply put, it was rare for him to address all of them at once, so it was obvious to his pokemon that what he had to say was important.

"So, right now, we're in one of the training rooms at the Pokemon Center," said Ash as he folded his arms. "We've been in Celadon for a couple days. Sorry for not letting most of you out until now."

Out of all of his friends, the only ones that he had released since arriving in Celadon were Haunter and Growlithe.

Other than the short amount of time that Growlithe had been treated by Nurse Joy, his pup had been by his side the entire time, which was to be expected. And Ash had released Haunter the last couple of nights, so that the apparition could devour his dreams.

Despite the fact that they hadn't been released, like his pup and ghost, none of his other friends looked to be offended. If Ash hadn't let them out, he likely had a good reason why; they all seemed to understand that. Either something unexpected had occurred, or he had been _really_ busy.

In this case, between handling all of the happenings that had occurred as a result of his battle against the three Rocket grunts and making a trip to the Celadon Department Store, it had been a combination of both.

"Since arriving in Celadon," continued Ash, "a lot has happened."

He paused, "Over the next few days, we'll be spending a lot of time together. I'll fill you in on most of the details later. But, right now, I would like to tell you what we'll be up to for the rest of our time in Celadon."

All of his pokemon planted their eyes on him, ready to listen to what he was about to say.

"We've got two important battles coming up," said Ash, surveying his friends.

"The first one will decide whether or not we get a new teammate," said Ash, holding up his index finger. "I'll explain more about it later, but I don't want to let this chance slip away. She's an extremely talented Eevee. If we beat her, she'll come with us."

The moment Ash mentioned the possibility of a new pokemon joining the group, the majority of his friends perked up. The two exceptions were Wartortle and Growlithe. The stony-eyed turtle looked as if he could care less, and Growlithe already knew about it.

Ash also took into account Pidgeotto's expression, which livened up more than the others. However, due to the sadistic glint in his eyes, Ash could tell that he was excited for an entirely different reason.

The dark-haired boy simply shrugged; some things never change. It didn't take a genius to figure it that Pidgeotto was looking forward to testing the strength of the pokemon that had impressed his master.

"Sorry, Pidgeotto," said Ash, locking eyes with his avian, "but this isn't your battle."

The king's natured Pidgeotto narrowed his eyes, clearly upset.

Ash shook his head in annoyance, "Stop it; you'll get to stretch your wings soon enough.

The avian puffed out his chest and let out a frustrated squawk.

Ash simply ignored him as he refocused his attention elsewhere.

"Clefairy," said Ash with a smirk, causing the fairy pokemon to step forward, "I'm leaving the battle against Eevee to you. I know you've been dying to have another girl around. Here's your chance…."

Clefairy nodded as a look of determination pierced through her countenance. Failure wasn't an option.

"Okay," said Ash, holding up his index and middle fingers, "now that that's been settled, it's time we talked about the second battle…"

All of his friends conveyed inspired dispositions. Unlike the battle against Eevee, they knew what was about to come out of Ash's mouth.

"As soon as Clefairy beats Eevee," continued Ash with confidence in his voice, "we'll be heading to the Celadon Gym to battle Erika."

He paused, "As you guys know, this will be our fourth gym battle, which means that Erika will be free to come at us with everything she's got. We won't be taking on her League registered team. This time, all bets are off. This will be our first _real _gym battle."

In response to Ash's words, all of his friends let out prideful roars. He couldn't help but smile. They were clearly fired up.

"The average match between a gym leader and a trainer with three or more badges is a four-on-four battle," explained Ash as he placed his hands comfortably on his hips.

"The rules aren't set in stone, so we need to be prepared just in case Erika decides to switch things up," said Ash. "But, if it does end up being a four-on-four, I'm going to go with Growlithe, Charmeleon, Pidgeotto and Ivysaur."

In regard to the four pokemon that Ash called out, none of them looked surprised. After all, Ash had been telling them for a while now that they would be battling in the upcoming gym battle. However, Ash could tell that the pokemon he hadn't selected were upset, especially Wartortle.

Even though Haunter and Clefairy had taken part in the battle against Sabrina, it was obvious to Ash that they were still a little disappointed. It was Ash's first time taking on a gym leader without a handicap. It only made sense that they would want to be a part of it.

Nevertheless, they understood that it wasn't their turn.

Wartortle, on the other hand, had yet to be a part of one of Ash's gym battles, and Ash could see in his eyes that it was starting to _really _frustrate him. Unfortunately, at the moment, there was nothing that Ash could do about it.

If Ash were to put his turtle pokemon in the match against Erika, he would be at a major disadvantage. A pure water-type like Wartortle wouldn't fare well against Erika's grass-types.

"Wartortle, Clefairy, Haunter," said Ash, "I know it's disappointing that you won't be a part of this one, but don't worry. We still have four more gyms to challenge after this one."

He sighed as he focused solely on Wartortle, "Erika is a grass-type gym leader. I'm going with the lineup that gives us the best chance to win. It's nothing personal. Your time will come."

Wartortle let out a grunt of annoyance. It's not like he didn't know that he would have a tough time against a grass-type gym leader. He wasn't irritated because of anything Ash had done. If anything, it was the situation that was getting to him.

At least, that's what Ash guessed was going on inside of the glacial turtle's mind. He could never know for sure, though. His water-type wasn't the easiest pokemon to read…

"Anyways," said Ash, trying to get back on topic, "for the next few days, we are going to be using the Center's training facility to get some last minute practice in."

He gestured toward his surroundings, "I rented this room for today. I had to get up pretty early to make sure that we would get it, but it should be worth it. It's not your average training room. There's only a few like it in all of Kanto, and Celadon is the only city that has one in its pokemon center."

Every single one of his pokemon gave him a quizzical look. As far as they could tell, the training room just looked like an average-sized room with black, marble tile, four pearly white walls and a tall, aqua blue ceiling.

In addition, there was a stainless steel door that occupied the center of one of the four white walls. It almost looked like it could be the entrance to a vault; however, it had a small checkered screen in the center of it. In the middle of the screen was the outline of an oversized handprint that was roughly three times the size of Ash's hand…

In reaction to his friends' skeptical expressions, Ash smirked.

"I know, I know," said Ash with a slight chuckle as he scratched the back of his head. "It doesn't look like much, does it?"

All seven of his pokemon simultaneously nodded their heads, agreeing that there didn't seem to be anything special about the room that Ash had rented.

"Understandable…" drawled Ash as he walked over to the vault-like door and loosely pointed at the checkered screen, "but the moment I place my hand on the screen, you'll see why I had to reserve it for us."

With his pokemon watching him, Ash placed his palm into the middle of the screen. At first nothing happened, but after a couple of seconds the screen lit up, and the handprint outline slowly shrunk until it was the same size as Ash's hand.

Once the outline and Ash's hand were perfectly in sync, the screen flashed a bright, blue light that shined throughout the entirety of the room before _it _started.

Ash turned around with a grin, watching while his friends looked at their surroundings with astonished eyes.

At the same time, he couldn't help but be amazed as well. Even though he already knew what was going to happen, he had never experienced it himself.

His eyes pivoted in every which direction as he witnessed the four white walls slowly recede into the ground. While they dropped into the marble surface, they gradually unveiled what looked like an infinite amount of white space. Once the walls had sunk all the way into the tile, the aqua blue roof slowly started to lower into the ground as if it was going to ruthlessly crush them.

His friends began to panic as the space between them and the ceiling became less and less. However, as it got closer to them, its solidity started to fade, and it began to take on the form of a transparent layer of gel.

"Don't be scared," said Ash as the membrane-like ceiling started to bend and arc, closing around the marble tile in the shape of a dome. "It's about to stabilize."

When the bizarre, transparent film touched the marble's cold, sleek surface, it flashed a bright red light before dissolving into what appeared to be nothingness. Left in its wake was a smiling Ash, and a handful of flummoxed pokemon.

"They call it the White Room," said Ash as he surveyed the endless amount of open, white space. "Like I said, we'll be in and out of here a lot the next couple of days."

He paused as he gave his friends an opportunity to wrap their minds around their current location. Other than the marble surface and the stainless steel door, there was nothing. For what appeared to be miles and miles upon end, all that could be seen was white. It was as if they were in a different dimension...one that lacked everything.

"I'm sure you're wondering what this is," said Ash as he took off his backpack and set it down on the ground next to him. "Now, I only know a little bit about it, but basically we're inside of a massive depository case. It also resembles the inside of a pokeball; however, we haven't been put into suspended animation."

In response to his words, his friends looked at him as if he was spouting nonsense.

"Okay, okay," repeated Ash, scratching the back of his head, "I know it's confusing, but that's okay. Just know that you can go all out in this space, and it's completely safe."

All seven of his friends simultaneously blinked, unable to shake off their baffled expressions.

"Oh, come on," said Ash, in between laughter, as he gestured toward the pokeballs on his belt, "Is it really that unbelievable? I mean, you guys spend a good chunk of your time resting in spheres the size of ping-pong balls."

His friends glanced at one another in a curious manner before synchronously nodding. It was apparent that they got the point; technology was amazing...

Ash subconsciously rolled up his sleeves and turned his cap backwards, suddenly changing gears.

"Well, then…" drawled Ash, beaming from cheek to cheek, "we can either continue to spend the day asking how and why, or we can get started?"

He took a deep breath, "I'd prefer the latter."

XXX

"Well, it looks about right," said Ash to Clefairy as he watched his fairy-type encompass her body in a thin-layer of pinkish energy. "Now, let's find out how well it works.

They had started working on Cosmic Power toward the end of their trip to Celadon. So far, they hadn't had too many problems figuring it out. There were a couple of small hiccups here and there, but for the most part it was coming to her naturally.

Much like Minimize and Stored Power, Cosmic Power was a technique that required Clefairy to manipulate her thaumaturgic energy. In order to properly use Cosmic Energy, Clefairy had to expel a steady stream of thaumaturgic energy while molding it in such a way that it tightly wrapped around her exterior.

The defensive technique took a lot of concentration, albeit in comparison to the intricacy needed to perform Minimize, it was fairly easy. Clefairy was already at the point where she could consistently envelope her body in an even layer of thaumaturgic energy.

All she had left to do was learn how to freely alter the cloak's density in accordance to the level of the attack she was being hit with.

After all, Cosmic Power required a lot of energy. At Clefairy's current level, she couldn't use it too much without exhausting herself, especially while engaging her opponent with other techniques.

"Alright, Growlithe!" yelled Ash, catching his starter's attention. "I need you for a second!"

Growlithe, who had been busy engaging in a light spar with Charmeleon, loped over to Ash's side. He looked up at his trainer with eager eyes, ready to help out however he could.

"When I say go, you're going to fire an Ember at Clefairy," explained Ash before pivoting his attention over to Clefairy.

"Put a little bit of distance between the two of you, and let go of your Cosmic Power," said Ash as he gestured for Clefairy to back up.

The fairy pokemon took a couple of steps backward as she dissolved her thaumaturgic energy.

"Once Growlithe releases his Ember, I need you to gauge its strength, and cloak yourself in an efficient layer of thaumaturgic energy," said Ash as he moved out of the line of fire. "Remember, we're just looking for a boost in your defenses. Don't try to completely nullify the attack. This technique isn't meant for that; it would take too much energy."

He paused, "Don't forget...we're at a Pokemon Center. Any damage you take can be easily healed by Nurse Joy's restoration machine. Something like this won't affect your battle against Eevee."

Clefairy nodded; she didn't need Ash to convince her to take Growlithe's Ember head on.

"Alright, then!" hollered Ash, turning his attention over to Growlithe. "Hit her with an Ember! It doesn't matter how strong it is! She'll have to adjust to whatever you send her way!"

Growlithe let out an affirmative bark before loading his maw with a stringent flame. Right away, Ash could tell that it wasn't a full power Ember; however, it definitely wasn't weak either. The pup was planning on hitting her at about half strength.

"Let's see what you've got, Clefairy!" exclaimed Ash, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

The moment Ash finished his sentence, Growlithe let out a sizzling flame. Even though it wasn't that big, it was highly condensed. Ash had misjudged it. The Ember Growlithe had conjured up was somewhere between half and full strength.

This would be difficult for Clefairy to deduce…

Ash watched with analytical eyes as the Ember approached Clefairy at a precipitous rate. It would be silly for him to think that she would get it right on the first try. So, what was it going to be? Would she overestimate it, or would she underestimate it? Knowing Clefairy, she would…

Clefairy's body shined with a thin, bright, purple light as she delved into her mystic energy. The cosmic layer was even finer than what Ash had been expecting. It was obvious that she had chosen to be efficient with her internal power.

At the moment of impact, Clefairy let out a conspicuous cry and was knocked back a couple of feet. Just as Ash had thought…she had underestimated the attack.

As the flame subsided, and Clefairy's slightly charred and grimacing form was unveiled, Ash jogged over to his fairy-type's side.

"Are you okay?" asked Ash with a small frown.

Although she had taken some damage, it wasn't like she was in need of medical attention or anything like that. If this was an actual battle, she could handle several Embers of that level.

Be that as it may, it was training, and Ash was never a fan of getting his friends hurt during training.

Unfortunately, sometimes it was unavoidable…

Clefairy let out a quiet growl and looked up at him with an annoyed expression.

"Don't give me that look," said Ash, flashing an impish grin. "I'm not the one that misjudged it. I may have told you not to overdo it, but you underestimated that one way too much."

Clefairy shot him a quick glare before having her attention snatched away by a barking Growlithe, who bounded over to them with a curious expression on his face.

In response to Growlithe's yapping, Clefairy nodded before jumping back into a defensive position. Judging by that exchange, it was obvious that they were about to give it another go.

"Sounds good to me," said Ash with a chuckle as he back pedaled out of the way. "Change it up this time, Growlithe! Keep her guessing!"

Growlithe let out a confirmatory yip, whereas Clefairy concentrated on the pup…

Obviously, Clefairy still had some work to do before she mastered Cosmic Power. But, as long as she kept working at like this, she'd have it down in no time.

XXX

"Good job," said Ash, smiling at his undemonstrative water-type. "You've almost completed it."

After spending close to forty-five minutes watching Charmeleon spit Ember after Ember at Wartortle's _nearly_ perfect Protect, it was time to take a break. Even though Wartortle had yet to get tired, Charmeleon's internal flame had significantly diminished due to fatigue, and Ash had gotten tired of watching the same thing over and over again.

In response to Ash's praise, Wartortle shot him an icy glare. He'd been like that ever since Ash had addressed his team. It was obvious that he was more than irritated about the fact that he wouldn't be participating in the upcoming gym battle.

Ash frowned, and his eyebrows lowered.

"_Gahhh, _cut it out! You're being a—" he spat, raising his voice before stopping himself mid-sentence.

He paused, taking a deep breath in order to calm himself down, "How many times do I have to tell you? You'll get your chance."

Without changing his facial expression, Wartortle let out a frustrated snort.

While Wartortle was busy throwing what could be called _his_ version of a fit, Ash tried to think of some ways that he could cheer him up. If any of his pokemon were capable of holding a long-lasting grudge, it would be Wartortle.

Even though they had experienced a few breakthroughs – as far as their relationship went – all Ash had to do was remember that Wartortle's cold personality was the direct result of a grudge he still had against his old trainer. When Ash thought about it that way, it was easy for him to make the decision not to let moments like this linger for too long…

After a couple of minutes of intense thinking, Ash finally thought of something that might curb Wartortle's disappointment.

"Hey, Wartortle," said Ash, causing his turtle pokemon to look up at him with the same aggravated eyes, "I've got something for you."

It appeared as though Ash had at least somewhat piqued Wartortle's attention when his eyes went from looking _really_ irritated to slightly less irritated.

"Okay..." drawled Ash as he walked the short-distance over to his backpack, picked it up, and brought it back over to his impersonal friend.

"I was planning on waiting until after we left Celadon to use this on you," said Ash as he unzipped his backpack's back pocket and pulled out his recently purchased TM Case Mk II, "but you've almost mastered Protect, so I think you can handle it."

Now, mastering a TM move wasn't even close to being as difficult as teaching a pokemon one of the techniques in their learnset. As soon as the TM was applied, the pokemon that had acquired the information would be adept enough to physically perform the technique.

However, there was no guarantee that they would immediately have the kind of control necessary to use the move efficiently and accurately.

Moreover, nine times out of ten, the TM move would cause a high level of exhaustion or unnatural recoil. Just because the mind of a pokemon could process the information within a TM, and manifest it into a legitimate technique, didn't mean that the pokemon using the technique was at a level where they could wield the move without any repercussions.

With all of that in mind, Ash had a feeling that Wartortle was more than ready to learn one of the TMs he had bought for him. As a matter of fact, taking into account their location, Ash couldn't think of a better time than now.

Now that he had almost completed Protect, it wasn't likely that he would get overwhelmed. Not to mention the fact that Wartortle was an impressive specimen with an uncanny talent when it came to learning moves quickly. He would be just fine; it was unnecessary for him to be cautious. The time to teach Wartortle his first TM move was now.

"This is a TM Case," said Ash as he flipped the metal latches that we're locking it shut. "With this, I'll be able to teach you a brand new technique."

As Ash opened it, Wartortle looked at the pristine, black case skeptically. It was obvious that he was unfamiliar with the intriguing object in front of him.

Inside of the case were two distinct sections...

The thin, top half had four rows of protective sleeves that were made out of a strange, transparent fabric. Nine of them were occupied by small, circular discs; this part of the TM Case wasn't all that different from a standard CD case. Each disc was categorized by a uniquely designed label. All of them had the name of the TM as well as an exclusive image related to the technique.

The bottom half was much denser than the top half, and it consisted of the most important part of the TM Case: the console. The console wasn't all that complicated looking. In the center was a slot that you put the TM in. Above the slot was a small, rectangular screen, and underneath it were two buttons and a directional pad.

To the right of the console was a small compartment, which held the headgear needed to apply the TM to the pokemon. The headgear was made up of a cord that jetted out of the side of the console. The cord branched off into two separate wires that had what looked like electrode pads at each end.

"The first step is to fire it up," said Ash, pressing one of the two buttons below the screen.

In subsequence, the screen lit up before displaying a menu with five options. From top to bottom, they read: Apply, Save, Load, Eject and Delete. Without pressing anything else, Ash reached for one of the nine discs that he had organized in his TM Case the night before.

A smile breached his face as he took the TM he wanted out of the protective sleeve and examined it. He had read the instruction manual the night before, so he already knew what to do with it. Taking a moment to soak in the fact that this would be his first time using a TM, Ash stuck it into the slot.

The machine made a faint, fan-like sound as it loaded the TM. After a couple of seconds, a small icon that looked like a disc showed up in the top right corner of the menu screen, letting Ash know that the TM Case was done processing the information.

"First things first, I need to save it," whispered Ash to no one in particular, using the directional pad to highlight the save option before pressing the select button. "That way, I can use it as many times as I want."

The screen changed, showing the image of a rotating disc. After a brief moment, the virtual disc came to a halt and turned green, signifying that it had successfully saved the information from the disc onto the TM Case's drive.

Once it automatically returned to the main menu, Ash used the directional pad to highlight the apply option before turning his attention over to Wartortle.

"Now that it's been saved, all that's left is for you to put this on and for me to press a button," explained Ash, reaching for the headgear.

Although Wartortle's expression was cold and blank as always, Ash could see the incitement in the turtle pokemon's eyes when he removed the headgear from the TM Case. He then peeled off the pads' protective films – that preserved their stickiness – and gently placed them on both sides of Wartortle's forehead.

"This will probably feel strange," warned Ash as he hovered his finger over the select button. "However, once this is done, you'll have the information needed to use a brand-new technique."

He smirked as he used his finger to point at his own head, "I know I haven't told you what TM move this is, but you'll know the second it uploads into your brain. It's more interesting that way."

Wartortle simply nodded; as long as he got stronger, he didn't care whether his trainer was secretive or not.

"Okay, then," blurted Ash, looking Wartortle in the eyes and placing his finger gently on the select button, "on the count of three!"

Ash thought he saw Wartortle gulp as he started to count, "one…two…and…"

He drawled for dramatic effect.

"Three!"

"_Click."_

Within the blink of an eye, Wartortle's body stiffened, and his eyes suddenly snapped open as wide as possible while emitting a light blue illumination. There weren't any signs of pain, but Ash could tell that the application process wasn't comfortable.

It lasted for about a half-minute before subsiding. When Wartortle's eyes stopped glowing, and his posture went back to normal, Ash gleamed in surprise.

For a fraction of a second, there was a minute smirk on Wartortle's face. It was the first time Ash had ever seen his turtle pokemon show emotion through anything other than his eyes. Apparently, applying the TM had done more for Wartortle than Ash had originally thought.

"How does it feel?" asked the ten-year-old boy in a curious manner.

Wartortle nodded as his eyes sparkled with satisfaction.

"Awesome," said Ash, grinning from ear to ear. "Want to try it out?"

Wartortle exhaled a deep, frigid breath, causing the temperature around them to drop before responding with a grunt.

The water-type could now use _Ice Beam_. Now, it was time to figure out how far away he was from mastering it.

XXX

Ash watched with a smile as Haunter wriggled his fingers in the direction of Clefairy, emitting a bright, purple energy.

Despite the fact that Haunter had a plethora of similar looking techniques in his move pool such as Hypnosis, Night Shade and Confuse Ray, this was a brand-new technique.

After nearly three weeks of patiently harboring it in his backpack, Ash was finally able to use the TM that Sabrina had given him: Psychic.

Now, only about an hour had passed since TM29 had been uploaded into Haunter's consciousness, and he was already on the verge of mastering it. Ash wasn't sure if this was because of his ghost-type's extraordinary talent, or if it was a direct result of the exposure he had gotten to the technique during his mental barrier training with Sabrina.

Whatever the case may be, all Ash cared about was the fact that Haunter was now more than capable of unleashing a high-level psychic assault.

Not only did it give Haunter another powerful technique to use in battle, but it also opened the door for the rest of his pokemon to acquire mental barriers.

Granted, Ash didn't plan on starting mental barrier training with the rest of his friends until after he left Celadon. However, it was nice to know that pretty soon he wouldn't be limited to using Clefairy and Haunter against psychic-types…

"How'd that one feel?" asked Ash, approaching his jolly apparition.

While levitating around his trainer, Haunter let out a burst of cacophonous laughter. It was obvious to Ash that his friend was having a great time with Psychic.

"Good!" exclaimed Ash, unable to hold back his excitement. "I never would have expected you to get the hang of it so easily!"

He couldn't help but laugh as he witnessed his ghost-type do some sort of outlandish celebration, using his hands to perform a strange, ghoulish jig.

"On second thought…" managed Ash in between laughter, "maybe I should have known you'd respond well to the TM. You are _Haunter _after all. Everything comes easy to you."

Haunter placed both of his hands up against his giant mouth in a bashful manner before fading in and out of corporeality. Even though he was essentially blushing, Ash doubted that he had actually managed to fluster Haunter. More than likely, this was just Haunter trying to be entertaining.

Of course, it worked.

After about a minute straight of nonstop laughter, he tried his best to clear his mind before setting his eyes on an equally amused Clefairy.

"What do you think?" asked Ash, trying his best to keep a straight face as Haunter made funny faces in his peripherals. "Do you think it's ready for battle?"

Clefairy nodded while letting out a quiet snicker.

"Gotcha'," retorted Ash with a smile.

All of a sudden, a thought crossed his mind. "You know, since I got the TM Case Mk II, I can use the Psychic TM again."

He paused as a smirk formed across his face, "Cosmic Power hasn't been too challenging for you, and you're able to learn Psychic with the help of a TM. Want to add it to your plate?"

Clefairy's eyes widened and she bobbed her entire body up and down.

"That's what I thought," answered Ash with a sly smile.

Haunter let out a loud surge of discordant laughter as he raised both of his hands up in a celebratory manner. Apparently, he was excited about the prospect of Clefairy learning Psychic, too.

"Well, what are we waiting for!?" exclaimed Ash, running over to his TM Case. "Let's do this!"

As Ash picked up his case and made his way back over to his friends, a thought repeatedly reverberated within his mind...

TMs were fun!

XXX

"Hey, Ash!" exclaimed Skylar, smiling as she habitually twirled her hair. "Are you excited for your match against Eevee?"

"I can't wait," replied Ash, giving her a smile of his own as he approached the front desk of the Pokemon Center's training facility.

He paused as he looked her over…

Just like when he had seen her a few days ago, all of her external wounds had been taken care of. If Ash didn't know better, he would have no clue that she had been brutally attacked by Team Rocket less than a week ago.

Since he knew where to look, though, he could spot some more subtle signs of an attack. Her eyes still carried an air of mistrust and trauma that likely would stay with her for a while, and anytime someone she didn't know walked too close to her, Skylar would flinch.

Nevertheless, it was apparent that she was doing better than she had been a couple of days ago, and it was nice to see her up and out of bed.

"How does it feel to finally get out of that hospital bed?"

"Amazing…" uttered Skylar with wide-eyes and a serious expression, "I know it was only a couple of days, but I felt like I was going to go crazy."

"I can understand that," replied Ash, thinking back to the time he spent at the pokemon center in Saffron. "Hospital rooms have a tendency to get to people, especially if you enjoy being out and about."

"You can say that again…" drawled Skylar as her eyes were suddenly drawn to Growlithe, who was sitting loyally by Ash's side.

She blinked at him a couple of times – in a way that exhibited to Ash that there was at least a slight bit of recognition – before eventually settling on a look that portrayed that she was meeting him for the first time.

"And who might this be?"

The memory didn't stick. Somewhere deep within her subconscious, she probably knew that Growlithe was with Ash when he saved her, however, she wasn't ready to remember too many of the details.

"Oh, that's right, you haven't met him yet," said Ash, trying to be sensitive to Skylar. "This is Growlithe. He's my star—"

Ash didn't get a chance to finish as Skylar abruptly knelt down on both knees and wrapped Growlithe up in a tight hug. Just by looking at it, Ash could tell that it wasn't quite as suffocating as Ellen's embrace. But, he couldn't help but think that she resembled her mother at least a little bit when she hugged Growlithe.

"Oh my God, Ash, he's _so _cute!" gushed Skylar—her pink sundress brushing up against the puppy pokemon's fur.

Ash smiled in amusement when Growlithe looked back at him with confused eyes. The ten-year-old boy proceeded to give him a thumbs-up without Skylar noticing.

"I know, right?" retorted Ash facetiously. "Isn't he just adorable?"

In response to Ash's words, Growlithe shot him an annoyed glare.

"Anyways," said Ash in attempt to take some of the attention away from his friend, "where are your parents?"

Skylar loosened her grip on Growlithe as she answered, "They should be here pretty soon. Both of them took Eevee to Nurse Joy in order to use the restoration machine. Eevee's been busy training herself over the past couple of days, and my dad wanted to make sure that she was completely healthy for today's battle."

"Gotcha'," retorted Ash with a nod as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Listening to Skylar tell him about Eevee's willingness to train made him even more excited for today's battle. Self-motivation was one of the biggest characteristics that Ash looked for in a pokemon, and it was apparent that Eevee possessed this quality.

"So, Ash…" muttered Skylar, letting go of Growlithe and standing up from her position on the ground, "are you going to use Growlithe against Eevee?"

"Nope," replied Ash, shaking his head and folding his arms. "I need Growlithe at full strength for when I take on the Celadon Gym. I'm not quite sure how strong Eevee is, but I don't want to risk using Growlithe against her. I need his type advantage against Erika's grass-types."

"Makes sense," said Skylar with a smirk, "although I hope you're not underestimating Eevee. She may not have gotten consistent training from my dad, but she is still pretty strong. Don't go thinking that she'll be a pushover."

"Trust me…" drawled Ash, "I'm not expecting it to be an easy battle. Just because I'm not using Growlithe doesn't mean I'm planning on going easy on her. I've had the pokemon I'll be using for almost as long as Growlithe and she's not the type to let me down. Eevee will have her hands full."

"I hope you're right," retorted Skylar with a smile, "I'll definitely be rooting for her…"

She paused, scratching her head and looking at Ash in a curious manner, "What kind of pokemon is—"

"Ash, Skylar, there you are!" interrupted a cheery, female voice from directly behind them. "We've been looking all over for you!"

He didn't even have to look to know that the voice belonged to Ellen; the energy that it carried was one of a kind.

Her husband let out a deep sigh as they approached Ash and Skylar.

"No, we haven't, honey," said Ruphus, rolling his eyes. "The meeting place was at the training facility's front desk. We knew exactly where they were going to be."

"Is that so?" queried Ellen with a look of befuddlement on her face. "And here I was thinking that we were on a hunt."

Ruphus placed one of his hands on his forehead as he responded, "Of course you did, sweetheart."

He then shifted his line of sight over to Ash before reaching over and grasping him on the shoulder in a friendly manner, "How's it going, Ash? Did you have a good last couple of days?"

"I did—" managed Ash before being interrupted by Ellen, who was squealing loudly behind him.

"Ash, is this your growlithe!?" blurted Ellen obnoxiously, "what a darling!?"

"Yeah…" muttered Ash as Ruphus gave him a wink.

"Sorry, Ash," said Ruphus, squinting as he held his thumb and index fingers together. "She's just a _wee _extra jittery today. The anticipation for this battle has her in rare form."

"Oh, really?" asked Ash, raising his eyebrows. "I didn't take her for someone that would be interested in battles."

"Are you kidding me?" snorted Ruphus, shaking his head in an exasperated manner. "She loves this kind of stuff."

"Well, hopefully Eevee and I don't disappoint," retorted Ash, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"No need to worry about that," said Ruphus with emotional eyes. "This match isn't about something as petty as entertainment."

"You're right," replied Ash as he readjusted his cap. "There's a lot riding on the outcome of this match."

"Exactly," said Ruphus, pivoting his line of sight in the direction of the front desk. "Anyways, we should probably reserve a mock battlefield before they all get taken."

"It's already been taken care of," inserted Skylar, winking as she brushed Growlithe's loose fur off of her dress. "I reserved one while I was waiting for Ash."

"Good thinking, Sky," answered Ruphus with a smile and a nod. "Let's get things rolling then."

He paused as he looked Ash in the eye, "Are you ready for this?"

Ash smirked as he subconsciously rested his hand on Clefairy's pokeball.

"Do you even have to ask?"

XXX

Ash detached Clefairy's pokeball from his belt as he stepped in one of the standard mock battlefield's two opposing trainer boxes. He felt Growlithe lightly brush up against his leg before lying down comfortably next to him, ready to witness the highly anticipated battle.

Across the battlefield stood Eevee all by her lonesome. She glared at him with fiery eyes, waiting eagerly for Ash to unveil her opponent.

Standing as far to the right as possible was Ruphus, Ellen, Skylar and a beautiful, sleek espeon, belonging to Ruphus, whose role was to protect them from any stray attacks.

Ash had to admit, he was a little surprised when Ruphus elected not to stand in the trainer box behind Eevee. But, after thinking it through, he could see the logic behind Ruphus' decision.

This was Eevee's battle, not his…

Moreover, Eevee's strength was something that she had achieved on her own. Ruphus hadn't been there to prepare her for this battle, and battling together wasn't something that they were comfortable with.

When Ash thought about it that way, it only made sense that she took on this challenge as an independent pokemon…

"This will be a one-on-one battle between Eevee and Ash's choice of pokemon!" announced Ruphus, assuming the role of the battle's referee. "The battle will start when Ash releases his pokemon, and it will end when one of the participants is no longer able to battle!"

He paused as he pivoted his glance between Ash and Eevee, "Are both sides ready!?"

Ash nodded while enlarging Clefairy's pokeball, whereas Eevee let out a confident yip.

"Ash, it's on you!" blustered Ruphus. "Let's go!"

By the time Ruphus had finished his sentence, Clefairy's pokeball had already left Ash's hand. It rotated in the air for a brief moment before snapping open and unleashing a blast of incandescent, white light.

When the light from the release was no more, Clefairy stood confident and dignified in the middle of the battlefield. Her eyes immediately locked onto Eevee as she raised her fists for battle.

The moment Clefairy entered the field of battle, Eevee's demeanor became even more intense. She focused her line of sight on the fairy pokemon, and her muscles tensed. She was ready to burst out of her stance at a moment's notice.

Ash let out a light chuckle as he heard a couple of feminine squeals coming from his right. Without a doubt, it was Ellen and Skylar blubbering about Clefairy. Even though he couldn't hear them clearly, he had been training Clefairy long enough to know that she had the tendency to melt the hearts of any females that got a chance to take a look at her.

"Alright, Clefairy!" said Ash, raising his voice. "The time to battle Eevee is here! Show her what you've got!"

Clefairy emitted an affirmative grunt, letting Ash know that she wouldn't let him down.

At the same time, the silver Eevee's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the two of them. She had zero intention of backing down.

Suddenly, Eevee exploded out of her stance, looking to be the first to initiate a combative exchange. She sprinted at Clefairy head on—teeth bared and eyes ablaze. From the very beginning, Ash could decipher Eevee's battle style: passionate and reckless.

This was going to be interesting…

In preparation to intercept Eevee's charge, Clefairy enveloped herself in a thin-layer of thaumaturgic energy. A small smile stretched across Ash's face as he watched Clefairy stand her ground.

"Cosmic Power right off the bat, eh?" whispered Ash to himself as Eevee rapidly closed the distance between the two female pokemon.

Right when Eevee got close enough to strike, the silver fox tenaciously leapt forward. There was no form in her heedless attack, so it was obvious that she was starting things off with a Take Down.

Ash shook his head in amusement; Eevee sure was brazen. Unfortunately for her, though, Clefairy was about to use it against her.

Just as Eevee was about to collide with the unshaken fairy-type, Clefairy used Minimize, shrinking down to about an eighth of her normal size. Still glowing on account of Cosmic Power's mystic cloak Clefairy immediately returned to her normal size before turning around and sprinting toward Eevee, who had flown by overhead and landed off-balance, having been caught off guard by Minimize.

In attempt to thoroughly counter Eevee's preemptive-strike, Clefairy then lunged forward and buried her fist into Eevee's side, causing the silver fox to let out a short, high-pitched cry. Following Clefairy's initial Pound attack, she tried to chain it with another, but Eevee briskly darted out of the way using Quick Attack.

In immediate succession to her evasive Quick Attack, Eevee halted her retreat before using all four of her limbs to violently push against the ground and spring herself back in Clefairy's direction. This time, however, instead of recklessly throwing her body at Clefairy, she flipped forward and unleashed a surplus of star-shaped rays of energy.

Unable to dodge Eevee's expansive Swift, Clefairy had no choice but to take the attack. As she was blasted by the golden stars, Clefairy disembogued an uncomfortable groan. If it weren't for her Cosmic Power, Ash would have been more worried. Compared to some of the Swift attacks that Ash had seen in the past, Eevee's was abnormally cogent.

"Endure it!" bellowed Ash as Eevee continuously sprayed Clefairy with Swift. "Use Defense Curl!"

Listening to her trainer's command, Clefairy compressed her body and rolled into a ball, trying to protect herself from Eevee's onslaught. Once Clefairy used Defense Curl, it lasted for about ten more seconds before the barrage ended.

Judging by the fact that Eevee was breathing heavily and her body was lightly trembling, Ash could tell that the long-lasting Swift had taken a lot of energy to keep up. At the same time, though, after coming out of her Defense Curl, Clefairy had accumulated some noticeable damage, which was to be expected after being hit by such an abnormally potent Swift.

There was a brief delay in the action, as both pokemon glared at each other, before Eevee once again went on the offensive. Within the blink of an eye, she erupted out of her motionless stance using Quick Attack.

Ash's eyes could barely follow as Eevee took the form of a sparkling blur, streaking across the battlefield at a speed that was borderline otherworldly.

"Use—"

Trying to utter a command was useless as Eevee pounced on top of Clefairy, using the momentum from the Quick Attack to deliver even more damage as she sunk her teeth into the opponent's side.

Ash cringed as he watched Eevee penetrate Clefairy's skin with Bite, causing her to shriek in agony. He'd seen Growlithe use Bite enough to know that the combination of devastatingly sharp teeth and dark energy was extremely painful for those that fell victim to it.

"Dammit," cursed Ash under his breath as he witnessed Clefairy try and shake Eevee off to no avail. "Knock her off with Pound!"

Trying her best to turn the tables, Clefairy used her tiny fist to repetitively clobber Eevee over the head with Pound. However, since Eevee's maw had sunk into Clefairy's flesh, every time the fairy-type hit her, Eevee's teeth grated even more against Clefairy's side causing the already significant wound to worsen.

Due to their abutting proximity, Ash thought about having Clefairy use Stored Power in order to blow Eevee away. But, so far, there hadn't been any status techniques used within the battle. Instead, rather than have Clefairy use force to get Eevee off of her, another approach came to mind.

"Freeze her with Psychic!" howled Ash.

Clefairy's countenance intensified as she used her entire body as a catalyst to emit a brief, albeit effective, surge of purple energy.

Before the battle, Ash had no intention of having Clefairy use Psychic. She had just learned the TM move yesterday, and she wasn't having nearly as easy of a time getting the hang of it as Haunter. Right now, all she could manage was a momentary mental freeze – against pokemon that were void of mental barriers – that lasted for barely a second.

Fortunately, at the moment, that was all of time she needed.

The very second that the wave passed through Eevee's existence, her entire body locked up. It was barely long enough for Ash to visibly notice, but he could tell it worked when Clefairy mercilessly smacked Eevee away like a rag doll. By the time she regained control of her body, she was turbulently tumbling across the battlefield.

While watching Eevee attempt to stop herself from skidding across the ground, Ash saw Clefairy take off in pursuit of the out of control fox.

This was their chance.

In a matter of a few seconds, multiple ideas clashed within Ash's mind like a hodgepodge of conflicting forces. Disarming Voice, Pound, Double Slap, Wake-Up Slap, Stored Power, Metronome, Psychic—all offensive techniques that Ash considered having Clefairy use to finish off Eevee.

How would he have Clefairy deliver the decisive blow?

"Sing!" yelled Ash at the top of his lungs as Clefairy dashed toward the faltering eevee.

Wasting no time, Clefairy murmured a centralized lullaby in the direction of Eevee. Before she even knew what hit her, she was forced into a slumber and rolled to a grinding halt.

"Finish her off with Pound and Wake-Up Slap!"

Subsequently, Clefairy leapt into the air, winding back her fist with intention of pummeling Eevee to a point where the victory would be hers.

"That's it!" bellowed Ruphus as a streak of red light shot across the battlefield, blanketing Eevee and returning her to her pokeball. "It's your win, Ash!"

As Clefairy gracelessly landed on the ground and stared at Ruphus in a confused manner, Ash focused his line of sight on the head of the Worthington.

"It wasn't a K.O.," said Ash, raising an eyebrow. "The battle wasn't over yet."

"She fell asleep, Ash," said Ruphus, walking over to the ten-year-old boy with Eevee's pokeball in-hand. "In my mind, that means she is unable to battle."

"But, in an official battle—"

"This wasn't an official battle," retorted Ruphus as he glanced in Clefairy's direction.

He paused, "Besides, we all know what was about to happen…"

"I guess you have a point," said Ash with a shrug as he raised his pokeball and pointed it in the direction of Clefairy.

"Great job, Clefairy, you were awesome!" exclaimed Ash as he pressed the return button on Clefairy's pokeball.

His fairy pokemon flashed him a proud smile as she was blanketed in a ray of red light. The moment she was returned to her pokeball, Ash turned around to find that Skylar, Ellen and the espeon had walked up alongside Ruphus.

"Wow, that was just marvelous, Ash!" exclaimed Ellen as she gave Ash one of her devastating hugs. "I knew you'd be good, but that clefairy of yours was absolutely dazzling."

Her hug was so tight that Ash couldn't even manage to get a word out. At the same time, Ash saw out of his peripherals that Growlithe was purposely keeping his distance. After the hug that he had gotten in the training facility's lobby, Ash couldn't blame him.

"Oh, dear Mew, what is wrong with me!?" wailed Mrs. Worthington as she leapt back and hid her face in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Ash!"

He had to take a moment to catch his breath, while Ruphus and Skylar scolded Ellen for unintentionally incapacitating Ash for the umpteenth time.

"I-it's okay," said Ash, trying his best to reestablish his breath. "Like I've said before, I'm used to—"

"Here," interrupted Ruphus, stepping in front of the rest of the Worthingtons while holding out Eevee's pokeball, "this belongs to you now. The only thing left for you to do is sign a document the Pokemon Center's front desk, and it will be official."

Ash gazed at the standard, red and white pokeball with eyes of astonishment as he reached out and waited for Ruphus to place it in his hands. On account of the heated battle, he had almost forgotten about the prize.

It wasn't until Eevee's pokeball rested in his palm that it finally hit him. His family had just grown by one. His eighth pokemon came in the form of a ravishing, silver fox with an unyielding personality.

Moreover, he had finally caught another girl. Clefairy was no longer the only female in their family. She now had a sister—one that could match her confidence and adamant fighting spirit.

"There's not a doubt in my mind that Eevee will grow with you in a way that she never could with me," added Ruphus as Ash continued to fixate on the pokeball that sat in his hand. "I couldn't be happier that she now has a place on your team."

Ash looked up at Ruphus with earnest eyes.

"And I couldn't be happier that you are entrusting her to me," replied Ash as he shrunk Eevee's pokeball and attached it to one of the empty slots on his belt.

All of a sudden, Skylar pushed her way in front of her father, eyeing Ash with a look of admiration.

"Congratulations, Ash," said Skylar as she firmly grabbed his hand. "Now, please, promise me that you will take good care of Eevee."

Tears flowed from her eyes as she shifted her line of sight between Ash's eyes and the pokeball that had recently been placed on his belt, "She's been a great friend to me."

A large grin stretched across Ash's face as he looked at Skylar with a sincere expression.

"I promise."

XXX

To be continued…

XXX

A/N: So, like a lot of you asked for, Kanto 11 was a shorter chapter. However, I think that there was enough good content in it to satisfy you guys until March. I've decided to prioritize getting you one chapter a month above everything else. Next chapter will start off with the long awaited fourth gym battle. Moreover, Kanto 12 will wrap up the Celadon Arc, which hopefully was a good change of pace after the chaotic Saffron Arc. Also, I want to point out that the snippet training sessions in the middle of the chapter were focused on the pokemon that won't be taking part in the gym battle against Erika for a reason. I'll show the fruits of their training in the gym battle. At least, that's my intention as of now. Anyways, pay attention to my profile, and don't forget to favorite, follow and review!

Thanks for reading!

Much love, vincentgrey21.


	12. Kanto 12

A/N: After a bit of a longer wait than usual, here is Kanto 12! Thanks for being patient. PM me if you find any typos. Enjoy!

Kanto 12: Essence

"I see..." drawled Sabrina, running her dainty fingers through her hair. "It sounds to me like Celadon has treated you well thus far."

"I definitely don't have any complaints," replied Ash as he scratched the fur behind Growlithe's ears.

He paused, showing her a playful smile, "Although, it hasn't been as exciting as my time in Saffron."

"Shut up, Ash Ketchum," Sabrina joked with a pretend glare. "You didn't exactly catch Saffron at the best time."

"Fair enough," said Ash with a shrug. "Anyways, did you just call to check up on me, or are you going to fill me in on what's going on with the Game Corner?"

"The Game Corner is one of two things that I need to discuss with you," answered Sabrina monotonously. "I also would like to talk about a vision that I had earlier this morning."

"What was it about?" asked Ash, raising an eyebrow.

"That's what I was hoping you could tell me," articulated Sabrina, letting out a sigh. "While I was doing my morning mediation, an image of you and a ninetails came to me."

Ash's eyes immediately widened as he recalled his experience with the mysterious Willow. Somehow, he had completely forgotten to fill his friends in on what had happened. This must have been destiny's way of reminding him.

"Dammit," cursed Ash under his breath, frustrated that he had failed to tell Sabrina about Willow when they talked on the phone the other day, "It completely slipped my mind. While I was on my way to Celadon, something really interesting happened."

"Elaborate please," replied Sabrina—her eyes squinted in a curious manner.

For the next several minutes, Ash proceeded to share with Sabrina what had happened when he met Willow. From the conversation concerning his destiny to the talk about Willow's _friend_ and the abomination; he told her everything…

"Ash Ketchum…" groaned Sabrina as soon as Ash was finished. "How in the world did it take you this long to tell me about something this important? You should have called me the second the ninetails left your presence."

"Honestly, Sabrina, I have no idea," replied Ash with a dejected facial expression. "As soon as Team Rocket showed up, and I found out about the Game Corner, I just forgot about it. I guess I was too busing focusing on the problems at hand to think about the future."

He paused, looking at her with sincere eyes, "I'm sorry."

She let out another sigh as she used her thumb and index finger to massage her forehead.

"It's okay…" Sabrina responded, moving her hand from her forehead to her chin, "most of what the ninetails told you has to do with your own journey, so this event doesn't change too much in regard to how we approach things."

Ash breathed a small sigh of relief. For a second, he was worried that Sabrina was going to reach through his xtransceiver and wring his neck.

"As a matter of fact," continued Sabrina, "knowing that the pokemon of Kanto are aware of what's happening is reassuring. It means that we're not alone."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," said Sabrina, "going off of what you told me, it sounds to me like Willow is some sort of representative of a great force in Kanto. I'm assuming that this _friend _she mentioned is very influential when it comes to our region."

"I guess that would make sense," said Ash, "I mean, Willow did tell me that she herself oversaw a large portion of the vulpix in Kanto. And judging by her insane level of strength, it was apparent that she wasn't a normal wild pokemon."

"Exactly," replied Sabrina. "Pokemon have a way of protecting our region, too. Destiny's agents aren't bound by species. They're just as big a part of what's going on as we are."

"I never said they weren't," retorted Ash, flaring his nostrils.

"Anyways," said Sabrina as she looked at him with a blank expression. "If there's one thing that has changed because of your meeting with Willow, it's that we need to remain idle until this friend of hers shows itself to us."

"I agree," said Ash with a nod. "We're just going to have to be patient and see how things unfold."

They continued to talk about Ash's experience with Willow for a little bit longer before Sabrina changed the subject, "So, let me fill you in on what's going to happen at the Game Corner."

"I'm all ears."

"Well, after our conversation a couple of days ago, I talked to Kent Barringer and filled him in on what was going on in Celadon," explained Sabrina. "He immediately got in contact with one of the other first-class ACE trainers."

"And?" queried Ash.

"According to Kent, he should be arriving in Celadon any day now."

"Oh, okay," replied Ash with interested eyes. "Do you know anything about him?"

"I do," answered Sabrina. "Just like Kent, I battled him when he was a rookie."

She paused, "As a matter of fact, they took on Kanto's gym circuit the same year."

"Really?" questioned Ash. "Wouldn't that mean they're the same age? I remember you mentioning that Kent was a rookie when he battled you, too."

"Yes," replied Sabrina, "they're the same age. That year was a promising one for young rookie trainers."

"So, I'm assuming he's good, then?" asked Ash as he readjusted his cap.

"If you're referring to his skill as a pokemon trainer," replied Sabrina, "then, yes, he's good. You can't become a first-class ACE trainer unless you are."

"Yeah, you're right," said Ash as images of Kent's monstrously strong pokemon flooded his mind. "He must be pretty amazing if he's the same rank as Kent."

"Well, for what it's worth, he beat Kent in the conference that year," informed Sabrina. "I'm not quite sure how much he's grown since, but I would guess that in terms of strength, they are relatively close to each other."

"Wow…" muttered Ash, dumbfounded, "what's his name?"

"Andrew Gerdes," replied Sabrina. "His name is Andrew Gerdes."

"_Hmm…"_ murmured Ash, "I've never heard of him."

"Well, that's to be expected," said Sabrina with a blank countenance. "It's been seven years since he participated in the Indigo League, and he chose the life of an ACE trainer. It doesn't matter how strong he is, he's become a tool of the League. Something like fame cannot breach the ACE Corps…at least, not amongst the general public."

"Gotcha'," answered Ash as he thought about some of the sacrifices that ACE trainers had to make in order to remain shrouded in mystery.

"Anyhow," said Sabrina, "I would appreciate it if you would steer clear of the area surrounding the Game Corner for the next couple of days. Even I don't know exactly when Andrew Gerdes will make his move. For all I know, he could be in Celadon as we speak."

"I already told you," retorted Ash, irritated, "I'm not going to get involved this time."

"Ash Ketchum…" Sabrina uttered with intense, skeptical eyes.

"What do you want from me?" asked Ash, making a sour face. "I gave you my word. Would it make you feel better if I signed something?"

"Yeah, actually, it would."

"You're absurd," snorted Ash with a furrowed brow.

A small smirk formed on Sabrina's face, "Given the fact that I have to go to such lengths to keep you in check, I think that it's more appropriate to say that you're the absurd one."

Ash took a moment to reflect. If you were to tell him before he left on his journey that he would have the kind of relationship with Sabrina Marvil in which they would exchange elvish banter, he'd say you were crazy.

"Fair enough, Sabrina," said Ash, shaking his head in an amused manner, "although I think it's safe to say that we're both absurd."

"That may be the wisest thing you've ever said," answered the gym leader, retaining her impish smirk…

Ash and Sabrina continued to joke around with each other for about another fifteen minutes before proceeding to wrap up their conversation.

"Anyways, Sabrina," said Ash, "I should probably get going. The Worthingtons are giving me a ride to the Celadon Gym early in the morning, so I want to get a good night's rest."

"Understandable," replied Sabrina, "I'll let you go, then. Good luck in your gym battle tomorrow, Ash Ketchum. Annihilate Erika Mori."

"I'll do my best," promised Ash.

He paused as something crossed his mind, "Hey, Sabrina, before we hang up, can I ask a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Can you pass the message that Willow gave me to the others?" asked Ash. "It's probably best that they hear it sooner rather than later, and I'm going to be _really _busy tomorrow."

"I can do that, Ash Ketchum," replied Sabrina, "although I do think that you should give them each a call soon, especially that idiot Bill Montgomery. He sees you as family. I'm sure he would like to hear from you."

She paused, "Besides, it's essential that he sends you that copy of the prophecy. You need to start looking into that. If it's true, you need to know as soon as possible. Remaining ignorant in regard to something like this is just foolish."

"I know…" drawled Ash, "I'll make sure that I reach out to Bill and everyone else before I leave Celadon."

"Good," responded Sabrina, showing Ash another faint smile, which she seemed to be doing a lot more frequently as of late, "Farewell, then, Ash Ketchum."

"Bye, Sabrina…I'll talk to you soon."

"_Click."_

XXX

"What's that smell?" asked Ash in a curious manner as he got out of the back of Ruphus' inordinate, silver, luxury car.

"Perfume," replied Skylar as she too hopped out of the high-priced vehicle, "that smell is perfume."

"Celadon's southwestern district is littered with all kinds of different perfume and other scent related shops," added Ruphus. "It's a bit much for my taste, but the ladies seem to love it."

Ruphus was right. The second that they got out of the car, both Skylar and Ellen entered a state of bliss. It was obvious that they enjoyed the tantalizing fragrances that all of the different shops were giving off.

To be completely honest, Ash didn't mind it either. The many pheromones were strong, but they were soothing at the same time. He felt like his nose was being spoiled in a way that it never had been before.

If they weren't right outside the Celadon Gym, and he didn't feel the need to keep his puppy pokemon a secret from Erika, Ash would let Growlithe out of his pokeball. That way, he could enjoy it too.

With Growlithe's extraordinary sense of smell, he would probably like Celadon's southwestern district more than any of them. Either that or his nose would be too sensitive to handle it, which Ash didn't think would be the case.

Growlithe's nose only responded poorly to an abundance of emotions or foul smells. Something that smelt as alluring as their current whereabouts didn't tend to do anything other than put Growlithe into a state of ecstasy…

As Ash's nose began to adapt to the enticing aromas that occupied the southwestern district, he was able to use his eyes to take in the scenery around him. Other than the gym, there were a few things that caught his attention.

The landscape and architecture were completely different than every other part of Celadon he had been to.

It still had a contemporary look to it, but the buildings were a lot smaller, and everything felt _way_ more mellow and cozy. Rather than coming off as a massive metropolis, Celadon's southwestern district made Ash feel like he was in the middle of a modest, but flourishing, town. If he were to compare it to any of the other cities he had been to, Ash would say that it reminded him of Viridian.

The streets were active enough to be welcoming and entertaining, but they weren't congested to the point that Ash felt like he was on the verge of being swallowed up. All of the visible spots that weren't occupied by some kind of man-made structure were embellished with beautiful, lush greenery. There were multiple intersecting boulevards that were lined up and down with gorgeous flowers and trees.

On just about every street corner there were outdoor markets, which primarily focused on selling perfume just like the indoor shops. However, Ash also noticed outdoor establishments that sold food and other products. In regard to its abundance of outdoor marketplaces, his mind was brought back to the streets of Cerulean.

Overall, it seemed like a nice part of the city. If Ash had to pick a place to spend a significant amount of time at in Celadon, it would probably be the southwestern district. He had more of an affinity towards quiet communities, such as this one, rather than the bustling northern districts.

However, as appealing as the scenery around the gym was, it didn't really hold a candle to the main attraction. As he stared ahead at the structure in front of him, one thing came to his mind: _This was definitely the venue of a grass-type gym leader._

The Celadon Gym could be best described as an industrial-sized greenhouse. It was dome shaped, voluminous, and its external roof and walls were completely made up of a semi-transparent material that encased a world of luscious plant-life. From Ash's current vantage point, he figured that it was made out of tempered glass that slightly blurred what was inside.

"This is the Celadon Gym," said Ruphus, gesturing towards the expansive building. "Inside of it, we'll find Erika."

"It's a lot bigger than I would have thought," replied Ash as he surveyed the entirety of the greenhouse, "and _way _more suited for grass-types."

"Well, not only is it a gym," inserted Ellen, "but it is one of the largest greenhouses in all of Kanto. The Mori family has been growing various plants here for over fifty years."

"Fifty years…" muttered Ash, surprised, "but it doesn't look that old."

"They take good care of it," answered Ruphus matter-of-factly. "Besides, it's a gym, so the League makes sure that it has state-of-the-art equipment and that it is regularly remodeled and up-to-date."

"Gotcha'" responded Ash as they continued to approach the gym. "Do you guys come down here a lot?"

"Eh, I don't," said Ruphus, shaking his head. "This kind of stuff doesn't really appeal to me."

He paused, "The girls do, though."

Ruphus' answer surprised Ash. Given his less masculine appearance, Ash would have guessed that he'd have more of an interest in Celadon's southwestern district. Then again, although Ruphus' appearance leaned towards eccentric, his personality was rather straightforward. Most of the Worthingtons' offbeat behavior came from Ellen, who was by far the most whimsical of the bunch.

"Oh, really?" queried Ash, shifting his attention to Skylar and Ellen.

"_Mhmm…" _murmured Skylar, "Mom and I do a lot of shopping down here."

"Yeah," added Ellen with a massive grin, "it's the best place for natural cosmetics, and you can't find perfume like this anywhere else in Celadon."

_"_I see," replied Ash as they severed more distance between themselves and the gym.

The closer they got, the more excited Ash became. The site of his fourth gym battle was way more fascinating than he had previously imagined. He could hardly wait to find out what was waiting for him inside.

As they reached the front entrance, Ash took a deep breath. He was nervous. Pretty soon, he would be taking part in his first match against a gym leader that wasn't bound by a handicap. This battle wouldn't be like the rest; this one was for real. The Rainbow Badge wouldn't be easy to obtain.

"Everything alright, Ash?" asked Skylar as Ruphus pulled open the single, glass door that served as the only public entrance.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said the ten-year-old boy, trying his best not to display his nerves.

"Good," said Skylar with a smile, "let's go in, then."

Burying his nerves in the process, Ash followed the Worthingtons through the doorway to the Celadon Gym. Despite the fact that he had gotten a decent look at what he would be walking into beforehand because of the glass walls, he couldn't help but be amazed by his new surroundings.

From the outside, although the glass was semi-transparent, the glare from the sun and the density of the glass had significantly obscured what was inside of the structure. Now that he was on the inside, he was able to clearly see the contents of the magnificent greenhouse.

Everywhere he looked was ripe vegetation. It didn't matter what it was, it was lavish and perfectly groomed. Flowers, trees, moss, bushes, vegetables, fruits—all types of plants could be found in the Celadon Gym, and they were all beautiful. The moment he entered the gym, Ash felt like he was Adam, and he had finally returned to the Garden of Eden.

It was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

"Whoa…" drawled Ash, "this is…"

"Incredible," finished Skylar with a big smile. "Isn't it just incredible?"

Ash simply nodded his head, unable to think of a better way to describe it.

Not only was there an unbelievable variety of plants scattered amongst the artificial ecosystem, but Ash also saw several people tending to the plants as well as grass-type pokemon – such as oddish, gloom, tangela, bellsprout, weepinbell, victreebel, exeggcute and exeggutor – that likely belonged to the gym.

In the center of the large, open greenhouse was another small structure. It was diminutive compared to the dome that it dwelled within and had the appearance of a cottage. Judging by the direction that Ruphus was leading them, Ash had a feeling that the cottage was their present destination.

As they approached the tiny structure, Ash noticed the gym's battlefield for the first time. It was directly behind the cottage, surrounded by a plethora of bushes and flowers. At first, Ash was shocked that it had taken him so long to notice it, but the way that it was designed made it blend in with the greenery around it.

Ash couldn't be sure because he wasn't in direct contact with it, but from his current positioning, it looked like the battlefield itself was made out of dark, rich soil. And the boundaries consisted of embedded brick and dried clay tile…

All of a sudden, his attention was drawn away from the battlefield when the door to the cottage abruptly swung open. A girl around his age stormed out, clearly infuriated.

"A loser like you has no right to tell me how to raise my pokemon!" yelled the angry brunette as she shoved a small, multi-colored trinket in her pocket.

"Who are you calling a loser!?" retorted another girl, who looked like she was in her early teens. "If I wasn't forced to use my League registered team, I would have wiped the floor with you, rookie! Come back sometime and battle my _real _team! Then we'll see who the loser is!"

Ash watched as the brunette glared back at the teenager before ultimately choosing to ignore her. She then continued her angry charge out of gym, all the while cursing under her breath. While she was passing by them, there was a moment in which Ash thought that she glanced at him with eyes of recognition, but he figured he was just seeing things.

He'd never seen the girl before. And if he had, he didn't remember her. More than likely, she was just acknowledging his presence.

"What was that about?" Ruphus asked the black haired teenager, who was still standing in the doorway as they walked up to the cottage.

For a moment, she blinked at Ruphus with a confused expression, noticing him for the first time. However, it didn't take long for her to calm herself down and answer him appropriately.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Worthington," greeted the girl with a soft voice and a cute smile, completely altering her disposition. "Don't worry about that. It was nothing…just a small disagreement amongst trainers."

She paused, "What brings you to the Celadon Gym?"

It was apparent to Ash that she was attempting to redirect the beginning of the conversation. If he were in her shoes, he would try and do the same.

"A friend of mine would like to challenge you to a gym battle," said Ruphus, choosing not to pursue the reason behind the confrontation and gesturing towards Ash.

For the first time, the girl revealed as Erika looked at Ash with curious eyes prior to briefly surveying Ellen and Skylar.

Now that Ash knew who she was, and the bizarre scene that they had just witnessed was over, he took a good look at Celadon's gym leader. Right away, Ash could tell that she was pretty. But, she was attractive in a way that was a lot different than some of the other beautiful girls that he had met throughout his journey.

Erika's appearance leaned more towards being exquisite and cultivated rather than purely physically attractive. Granted, her fine features were drop-dead gorgeous, but it went beyond just that. The entire way she carried herself was enchanting.

Her face was fine and delicate. She wore a light amount of makeup that made her skin look flawless. Erika's eyes were a light, serene brown, and her jet-black hair was straight and went down to about the middle of her slender neck. Giving her hair a little extra bounce was an intricately designed, light red headband with detailed, white leaves etched into it.

Erika's entire body was covered by a beautiful, golden yukata. It made her look like a traditional Japanese princess, from a time long, long ago, who was gracing this era with her presence. Other than her face, the only other part of her body that showed was her delicate arms and hands. Her petite feet were covered by plain white socks, and she wore nicely made wooden clogs that looked as uncomfortable as they were graceful.

"_Hmm…_you must be an interesting trainer if you're being accompanied by three Worthingtons," said Erika as she planted her eyes on solely Ash. "What's your name?"

"My name's Ash Ketchum," answered the dark-haired boy as he respectfully held his hand out to her. "It's nice to meet you, Erika."

Ash had to admit, he was a little worried that Erika would recognize his name and kick him out of the gym for meddling in Celadon's affairs. However, he quickly realized that he was just being paranoid.

There was no way that Erika knew about his involvement in what was about to take place at the Game Corner. Sabrina hadn't given his name to anyone, and he doubted that Officer Jenny had contacted her about how he had stopped the Rockets. After all, she wasn't exactly the biggest fan of Erika.

Besides, Ash didn't even know if Erika was aware of the upcoming operation, yet. The League would have to let her know eventually, but there was no telling when that would be.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ketchum," said Erika, disregarding his hand before gently grasping both sides of her yukata and performing a curtsy.

Once she was finished, she stepped aside and used one of her hands to gesture towards the inside of the cottage, "Would you please step inside? Before we battle, you must check-in."

"Sure thing," replied Ash with a nod before walking inside of the cottage.

Behind him, Ash heard Erika exchange a few words with Ellen and Skylar before she and the three Worthingtons followed him inside.

The inside of the cottage wasn't too far off from what Ash expected. There was a desk situated directly in front of the back wall. Another pretty girl that appeared to be about a year older than him sat behind it. She smiled at them the second that they walked through the door, causing Ash's cheeks to turn red.

The rest of the entry room was furnished with some comfortable looking couches and adorned with luxuriant décor. There was even a large, flat screen TV that was situated on a well-made, wooden TV stand. It was evident that the Mori family had put a lot of effort into making the cottage comfortable for those that had to wait for a gym battle.

"Follow me," said Erika, stepping in front and leading them over to what Ash assumed to be the check-in desk.

"Millie, I have another challenger," stated Erika in the direction of the girl behind the desk. "His name is Ash Ketchum. As you can see, he is a friend of the Worthington family."

"Hello, Mr. Ketchum," said Millie, giving him a quick wave.

Before Ash had a chance to respond, she shifted her line of sight over to Skylar, "Hey, Skylar, it's been a long time; nice to see you."

"Nice to see you, too, Millie," replied Skylar, flashing a smile of her own.

"You know each other?" questioned Ash, glancing back and forth between the two girls that looked roughly the same age.

"Yup," answered Skylar, "we've been friends for a long time."

"Ever since we were little," added Millie proudly.

"Gotcha'" replied Ash, electing not to dig any deeper.

Right now, he just wanted to battle Erika. If it was important, he was sure that he would find out more about Skylar and Millie's friendship later.

"Anyways, Millie," said Erika, reacquiring everyone's attention, "there wasn't any damage done to the battlefield during the last match. So, depending on Ash's skill-level, I wouldn't be opposed to accepting his challenge right away."

She paused as she glanced back at him, "Is that alright with you, Ash?"

"The sooner the better," replied Ash with a nod.

"Good," answered Erika as she pointed at the computer on Millie's desk, "well, then, if you wouldn't mind, could you hand my sister your pokedex? It'll record into our system that you've been here. The League has been trying to pay more attention to the number of challengers each gym is getting."

Both of Ash's eyebrows lifted when Erika mentioned that Millie was her sister. After taking another look, he probably should have figured it out on his own. They did resemble each other quite a bit. Millie looked like a younger version of Erika. The only distinct difference, other than their age, was that Millie's glossy, jet-black hair was much, much longer.

"Is something wrong?" asked Erika curiously.

"Oh, no, nothing's wrong," replied Ash as he reached into his back pocket to retrieve his pokedex. "I just didn't realize until now that the two of you are sisters."

"Ah, yes, Millie is my _dear _little sister," said Erika with an oversized grin. "She's the youngest of the Mori girls."

"The youngest?" queried Ash. "How many is there?"

"There are four of us," inserted Millie, "Erika's the oldest."

"Where are the other two?" asked Ash, unable to suppress his curiosity.

"They're traveling through the Hoenn region right now," replied Erika, rolling her eyes. "Those two could care less about what goes on here at the gym. They left on a journey the day that they turned ten and have only visited a few times since."

"Big sis Freya and big sis Harper definitely march to a different beat," added Millie as Ash finally handed over his pokedex, "but that's what makes them _so_ cool."

"They must be twins," stated Ash, putting the pieces together.

"As identical as they come," said Erika with a small smile, "not even our parents can tell them apart."

"It must be cool having a set of twin sisters," answered Ash. "I don't have any brothers or sisters, but I've always wanted at least one. Is it fun having two that look the exact same?"

"Well…" drawled Erika, "at the very least, it's _interesting_."

She paused as she turned her attention back over to her little sister, "Anyhow, are you done yet, Millie?"

"Yeah," replied the youngest of the Mori girls as she removed the device from the pokedex dock that was attached to the computer and handed it back to Ash, "the match has been accounted for."

"Erika, may I ask why the League is paying such close attention to the number of challengers each gym is getting?" asked Ruphus, speaking up. "They typically only care about the number of badges each gym gives out, right?"

"I'm not supposed to say anything," answered Erika hesitantly, "but since it's you, Mr. Worthington, I'll make an exception."

Ash listened attentively. Whatever the reason was, he was sure it was intriguing.

"The League is keeping a closer eye on the gyms because of Koga," explained Erika, "if you haven't heard, he's been a little ruthless as of late."

"I remember hearing something about that," said Ash, "however, I don't exactly see why the League would need to check gym attendance because of it."

"Under normal circumstances, I would agree with you," responded Erika with a sigh, "but the problem is that Koga has gotten _really _bad. No one has won his badge. He's cheated the League registered system. And supposedly, over the last month, his gym has gotten even less challengers than both Giovanni and Blaine."

She paused, "I shouldn't even have to explain how ridiculous that is especially given the fact that he's the gym leader of a major city."

"Wow, even Blaine?" asked Ash, surprised, "but I've heard rumors that his gym doesn't even exist anymore."

"He couldn't be a gym leader if his gym didn't exist," retorted Erika with a sarcastic undertone, "it's just really hard to find…"

"But, that's beside the point," continued Erika. "The reason that the League is paying such close attention to gym statistics is because they're trying to build a case against Koga. If things continue as they are, Fuchsia is in danger of an economic crash. I don't want to go too deep into the details, but each Kanto city relies heavily on tourism and because of Koga's brutality, trainers have avoided Fuchsia altogether."

"The only real place of interest in Fuchsia right now is the Safari Zone," said Erika, "and that actually costs the League more money to keep running than it makes."

"I see," said Ruphus, "does this mean that Koga is in danger of losing his position as a gym leader?"

"It's a possibility," answered Erika with a shrug, "but I don't know for sure. All I know is that the League isn't happy with him."

After listening to what Erika just said, Ash had a feeling that she had no idea that the League was sending a first-class ACE trainer to take out the Game Corner. If she knew, she would be less concerned about Koga, and more concerned about her own jurisdiction.

"Whatever the case may be, the League will respond how they see fit," said Erika. "There isn't much else to it."

She paused, "What do you say we put an end to this political discussion and have a battle?"

Although Ash was interested in what they were talking about, he had to admit, he was ready to battle Erika.

"Sounds good to me," replied Ash, "like I said earlier, the sooner the better."

"Alright, then," answered Erika, looking Ash in the eyes. "Before we can do anything, I have to ask, how many badges do you have?"

"Three," said Ash as he swung his backpack in front of him in order to retrieve his badge case. "Do I need to show them to you?"

"Don't worry about it," replied Erika with a smile. "I trust you."

She paused as Ash fixed his backpack, "This will be your first gym battle without any restrictions. You're aware of this, right?"

"Of course," retorted Ash with a smirk. "I'm prepared to take on whatever you choose to throw at me."

"Good," said Erika, reciprocating Ash's smirk. "Since I'm not required to use my League registered team, I can battle you immediately."

Ash looked at her in a confused manner.

"My last opponent only had two badges before battling me," explained Erika. "She knocked out both of my League registered pokemon. So, if you would have had less than three badges, you would have had to wait here for a while until I healed my pokemon."

"Gotcha'," answered Ash with a nod.

Subsequently, Erika shifted her attention over to her sister.

"Millie, could you be a doll and round up some of the exeggutor for me?" asked the pretty-faced gym leader. "I have a feeling it's going to be one of _those _kinds of battles."

"Exeggutor?" questioned Skylar. "You're taking on Ash with a team of exeggutor?"

Erika and Millie couldn't help but giggle.

"Although my sister does have an exeggutor that she uses in battle," responded Millie, "_these _exeggutor are mostly only used to put psychic barriers over the battlefield."

"The Celadon Gym is also their home," added Erika before glaring at Millie. "You make it sound like they're merely tools…"

"I think they know what I mean," retorted Millie, annoyed.

"Eh, whatever," answered Erika, realizing that they were on the verge of bickering in front of guests.

She then placed her focus back on Ash, looking at him with a unique fire in her eyes, "Let's not waste any more time."

Ash gave her a quick nod. Judging by the shift in demeanor and even the scene that they had walked in on right before meeting Erika, he had a feeling that her personality took a unique turn when she battled.

Erika was a lot different than he would have thought. After having a few conversations with other people about her, he had been under the impression that she was a stuck up girl that had stumbled into the role of being a gym leader. He hadn't even battled her yet, and he could tell that there was a lot more to her than what people thought.

Ash was snapped out of his rumination as Erika casually walked past them, making her way towards the cottage door.

Excitement stirred within Ash as he realized that it was finally time to let loose.

"Follow me, Ash."

XXX

While trekking through the thick soil in order to get to his designated trainer box, Ash felt like he had stepped into an oversized planter rather than a battlefield. He could see why Erika had chosen to design her gym's battlefield the way she had. The rich soil was a great environment for all kinds of grass-type techniques—Ingrain immediately came to Ash's mind.

Still, he couldn't help but feel like it was a bit much.

"What do you think!?" asked Erika, from across the battlefield, as Ash stepped onto the tile based trainer box.

"Well, it's perfect for grass-types!" yelled Ash while trying his best to shake the soil off of his shoes.

"Exactly!" replied Erika. "This soil is full of nutrients. It is the perfect terrain for grass pokemon."

"I bet!" exclaimed Ash, humoring Erika as she gloated about her gym's most important feature.

As he took a deep breath to prepare himself for what was to come, he saw Ruphus, Ellen and Skylar standing off to the side, waiting with anticipation for the action to begin.

It was nice to know that he had friends there to watch his battle, but at the same time, he felt like it added to the preexistent pressure that already came with the fact that this was his first gym battle since acquiring three badges.

He also couldn't help but think that it was the perfect opportunity to show them that he was truly worthy of training Eevee. They would get a chance to see what the silver fox had to look forward to with him as her trainer. The Worthingtons were about to see his friends at full strength.

"The rules will be a little different now that you have more than three badges!" shouted Erika, recapturing Ash's attention, "so let me explain them to you before we begin!"

She paused, "First of all, this will be a four-on-four battle as opposed to a two-on-two!"

Ash nodded. He'd been expecting a four-on-four, so that wasn't a surprise.

"In addition," continued Erika, "although I am not allowed to return a pokemon once they have been released, you may switch pokemon freely and as many times as you would like!"

She smirked, "I suggest you take advantage of this rule! While facing a superior opponent, match-ups are everything."

Ash couldn't help but snicker under his breath. He was right; Erika definitely had a different air to her when it came to battling. _A superior opponent; _talk about arrogance. He'd make her eat those words.

"I'll keep that in mind!" retorted Ash vigorously.

"The rest is just like any other battle!" yelled Erika, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she had just riled Ash up.

She paused, glancing around as if she was searching for something, "Millie should be—"

"I'm right here!" replied the youngest of the Mori sisters, causing Ash to turn his head in the direction that her voice was coming from.

Walking up behind the Worthingtons was Millie, who was accompanied by four bulky exeggutor. Each one of their three heads portrayed a different facial expression, and the green foliage extending out of the top of their trunk-like bodies had all four of them standing at least six-feet tall.

Ash didn't know too much about exeggutor; the exeggcute line wasn't a breed that he was particularly interested in. However, he knew enough about them to understand that they were difficult to train and required a strict trainer that was willing and capable of managing their triad of personalities.

Given the fact that the Celadon Gym had four well-behaved exeggutor, who weren't even a part of the gym leader's team, it was clear to Ash just how talented Erika and her gym trainers were when it came to handling grass-types. He couldn't wait to find out what kind of grass pokemon Erika would call upon in their upcoming battle.

As Ash visualized in his head his four pokemon of choice going up against whatever Erika threw at him, he witnessed each exeggutor casually position themselves on one of the four sides of the battlefield.

Subsequently, all four of the exeggutors' six eyes emanated a bright pink light as they initiated the process of raising a large protective barrier over where the match would be taking place.

As the exeggutors' psychic energy gradually came together, forming a bright pink, rectangular shaped barrier that encompassed the entirety of the battlefield and extended vertically all the way to the greenhouse's ceiling, Ash couldn't help but be reminded of the handful of kadabra that raised the psychic barrier over the SS _Anne's _state-of-the-art arena.

To be completely honest, Ash was more impressed by the barrier that the four exeggutor had conjured up rather than what the kadabra on the SS _Anne_ had materialized. The fact that they had been able to create such an airy barrier in such a short amount of time was remarkable.

"Awesome!" exclaimed Ash as he stared up at the towering barrier.

"Isn't it!?" shouted Erika from the opposite side of the battlefield.

She paused, "It's a combination of Light Screen, Psychic and Reflect—configured so that elemental techniques can't permeate through either side. It doesn't nullify physical attacks, and people and pokemom can freely move in and out without taking any damage."

"Wow…" drawled Ash, "that's quite the combination move. Does it have a name!?"

"Nope!" shouted Erika, shaking her head. "We don't really see the point in naming it since the exeggutor can't use it on their own, and it's really only useful for this purpose."

That makes sense!" replied Ash.

Now that the barrier was up, and they were both situated in their respective trainer boxes, Erika shot Ash a look that signified that it was time to start the battle.

"Alright, Ash, are you ready to do this!?" howled Erika.

"Oh, I'm ready!" answered Ash, eyes ablaze.

"You won't stand a chance if you're not!" retorted Erika.

She paused, "The first move is on you! The battle starts when both of us release our first pokemon!"

"Is there no referee!?" shouted Ash, raising an eyebrow.

"They're not required for gym battles where the challenger has more than three badges!" stated Erika. "I' m more than capable of judging this match on my own!"

"Gotcha'!" howled Ash as he thought of the fact that Sabrina had illegally chosen not to have a referee during their League registered match...

For the next several seconds, it was quiet as Erika waited for Ash to release his first pokemom. Before he arrived at the gym, he already knew who he was going to start off with. He'd heat things up right away with one of his fire-types: Charmeleon.

While Ash reached for Charmeleon's pokeball, he was suddenly halted by a female voice calling out his name. He shifted his line of sight in the direction that the voice was coming from and was surprised to find Skylar, passing through the barrier before sprinting over to his side.

"What's going on!?" shouted Erika, confused.

"Sorry, Erika!" apologized Skylar, quickly turning around and bowing in an awkward manner at the teenaged gym leader. "I just have to ask Ash something real quick!"

"Um, alri—" managed Erika before Skylar turned back around and faced Ash, cutting her off.

"Can I have Eevee's pokeball?"

"Huh, why?" questioned Ash, interested in hearing Skylar's intentions.

"I think that it will be good for the two of you if she sees this battle," replied Skylar without hesitation. "Although you defeated Eevee and won her allegiance fair and square, she's going to take a little bit of time to warm up to you. I think if she witnesses this gym battle firsthand and sees what she has to look forward to, she'll end up listening better when you start training together."

She paused, lowering her voice down to a whisper, "When it comes to Eevee, respect means a lot. She probably respects you already because you defeated her, but I think she may admire you even more if she watches you defeat Erika."

"But, I haven't even let her out since she officially joined my team," answered Ash. "I was planning on doing that when I had the time to sit down and talk to her. I don't want to confuse her, you know?"

"Don't worry about that," said Skylar with a smile. "I've known Eevee for a lot longer than you have. I can take care of whatever is going on inside of her head. Just trust me, and focus on beating Erika."

She held out her hand, waiting anxiously for Ash to give it to her.

He let out a deep sigh as he detached Eevee's pokeball from his belt.

"Fine," responded Ash, placing it in her hand, "but I'm blaming you if I lose, and she changes her mind about me."

"But, you're not going to lose, are you?" said Skylar, followed by a wink, as she slowly started to back away in the direction of her parents and Millie, who had joined them at some point.

"I'm not planning on it," he replied with a confident smile.

"That's what I thought," answered Skylar as she waved playfully in his direction before phasing back through to the other side of the barrier. "Good luck, Ash!"

"Thanks!" exclaimed the dark-haired boy as he focused his attention back on Erika.

A few seconds later, he noticed a flash of bright light being unleashed from the outer edge of his peripherals. Skylar sure didn't waste anytime in letting Eevee out.

"Okay, Ash, no more distractions!" howled Erika as she pulled a shrunken pokeball out of one of the loose sleeves on her yukata, causing Ash to raise an eyebrow. "My patience is running thin!"

"I understand!" retorted Ash, detaching Charmeleon's pokeball from his trainer belt. "There won't be anymore distractions; I'm ready!"

He drew a relaxing breath through his nose as he enlarged his lizard pokemon's pokeball.

Erika responded by mirroring Ash and enlarging the red and white orb in her grasp.

Choosing not to delay the inevitable any longer, Ash clenched Charmeleon's pokeball tightly in his hand before launching it into the center of the battlefield.

In immediate succession, before Charmeleon's pokeball had snapped open, Ash saw Erika's pokeball leave her hand as she casually tossed it into the air.

The next few seconds consisted of a bright array of twinkling white light as both trainers' first choices materialized onto the battlefield.

When the light from the pokeball Ash had thrown dissipated, the form of a crimson scaled reptile stood in its stead. Upon release, Charmeleon beat his chest with one of his claws and spewed out a quick, intimidating burst of flames from his nostrils, signifying that he was ready for battle.

The outburst of energy from Erika's pokeball lasted a little bit longer, but once it had faded, a strange ball of blue vines appeared on Erika's side of the field. Ash immediately recognized the outlandish pokemon as a tangela: an extremely rare grass-type that was indigenous to southwestern Kanto.

Other than Tangela's surplus of thick, blue, twisted and snarled vines, the only other parts of its body that were visible were its two big goofy looking white eyes – that each had a minute black speck for a pupil – and its pair of red boot-like feet.

"That's a good looking Charmeleon!" shouted Erika from across the battlefield as both pokemon stared at each other. "However, if you think that type-advantage alone will win you this match, you're fooling yourself!"

Ash ignored her comment. He'd let the battle speak for itself. There was no need to engage in pointless banter. Besides, he didn't need her to tell him that type-advantage in and of itself wouldn't ensure a victory; he wasn't that narrow minded. Type-advantage certainly helped, but this battle would come down to a lot more than something as rudimentary as that.

"Charmeleon, start things off with Ember!"

Obeying his trainer's command, Charmeleon spit out a lone, condensed fireball. It jetted in the direction of its target at a tremendous speed, whistling and hissing as it pierced through the air.

Ever since he evolved, Charmeleon's velocity with Ember and Dragon Rage had increased to a level that he never would have been capable of as a charmander. It was impressive to say the least. However, he would have to be a little more creative if he wanted to hit a gym leader's pokemon, especially with a move that it was weary of.

It's not like Tangela had too many options when it came to dealing with a move like Ember, which it was _so_ vulnerable to. Unless it knew Protect or some other neutral nullification technique, blocking it wasn't an option. It was either find a way to intercept it or dodge.

Right before the Ember was about to make contact with it, the tangela emitted a strange gargling noise that was incomparable to anything Ash had ever heard before, and it precipitously threw its body out of the way.

As soon as it cleared the Ember, Tangela unleashed what looked like a chain of twisting and intersecting vines downward that submerged into the soil, stopping it from tumbling awkwardly across the battlefield.

In the moment, Ash wasn't sure whether Erika's tangela was using Vine Whip or Ingrain to stabilize itself. Whatever the case may be, it was unorthodox, and he now knew that it had a way to move across the field in a nimble and elusive manner.

"Tangela, use Vine whip to strike!" shouted Erika as the outlandish grass-type came to a standstill.

While keeping some of its, now elongated, vine-like appendages firmly rooted in the soil, Tangela distended another group of vines in the direction of Charmeleon. They started off soaring through the air like a bundle of casted fishing lines. However, it didn't take long for their malicious intent to be revealed, abruptly hurtling at Charmeleon like a bunch of menacing whips.

"Burn them!" commanded Ash without a hint of hesitation.

He'd had Charmeleon spar with Ivysaur enough to know that he wouldn't be able to dodge them in time from this distance. On top of that, Tangela's numerous amounts of vines far outnumbered Ivysaur's trusty duo, giving it a much greater chance at landing a direct hit.

Smoothly and efficiently, Charmeleon shot out a barrage of flames that intercepted all of Tangela's impending vines. As expected, they were scorched to nothing in less than a second, leaving Charmeleon untouched.

Ash smiled, clearly amused. The battle's first exchange was free of damage; he couldn't see that lasting for very much longer.

His eyes widened when Tangela shook its body, covering itself in a bright purple powder that came from somewhere beneath its multitude of vines. It didn't take him more than a second to decipher that the grass-type had coated itself in a thin layer of Poison Powder.

"You can't let it touch you with its vines!" bellowed Ash as the tangela once again prepared to lash out with Vine Whip.

Truth be told, the poison would likely reach Charmeleon even if its vines got close, but Ash didn't want to make his friend overthink things too much. Ash knew ahead of time that Erika was bound to use moves that left status effects. This battle would just as much be about avoiding status effects and enduring them once they'd been inflicted, as much as it was about dealing damage to the opponent.

Listening to Ash's warning, Charmeleon darted out of the way while torching any vines that got too close with Ember. The second he made it through Tangela's first Vine Whip/Poison Powder assault, the tiny, albeit powerful, grass-type shook out some more Poison Powder before trying to lash at him again.

"Keep at it, Charmeleon!" Ash encouraged his friend as he repeatedly dodged and intercepted vine after vine with Ember.

While Charmeleon was busy avoiding Tangela's relentless assailment, Ash did whatever he could to think of a counterattack. He had a couple of ideas in mind, but in order to make any of them a reality, he had to wait for an opening that they could take advantage of.

"When it shakes for more poison, hit it with as many Embers as you can!" commanded Ash, "In the meantime, continue to dodge the best that you can! I have an idea!"

For the next several seconds, Ash watched as Charmeleon desperately tried to maneuver around Tangela's poisonous vines. Somehow, he managed to outlast its assault, but as soon as he thought that Tangela was about to shake out some more poison, Erika switched things up by giving her grass-type a new command.

"Tangela, use Growth followed by Bind!" yelled the gym leader, raising her hand in an authoritative manner.

Following Erika's orders, Tangela withdrew the vines that it had been attacking Charmeleon with while pumping its body with whatever natural chemicals it needed in order to raise its attack power.

Ash wasn't too familiar with the move Growth, but usually status moves that boosted a pokemon's physical attributes took a second to stabilize. Just as he had been planning on taking advantage of the time that Tangela took to douse its vines in Poison Powder, he would use this as an opening.

"Don't wait for it!" ordered Ash with excitement in his voice. "Charge it, and hit it with an Ember barrage!"

Huffing and puffing on account of the tremendous amount of energy he had exerted while dodging Tangela's multiple attempts at Vine Whip, Charmeleon dug his reptilian feet into the ground and loaded his mouth with blazing hot flames before taking off toward Tangela.

He kept his flames idle in his maw for a brief moment as he forced up as much of his internal flame as he could. When he finally let them go, it was apparent that Charmeleon had put a lot into them by the way that the temperature within the barrier drastically increased.

As the flames closed in on Tangela, Ash crossed his fingers and hoped that they would hit. Just when he thought that the grass-type was too preoccupied with Growth to do something about Charmeleon's incoming attack, Tangela once again attempted to throw itself out of the way by using the vines that it had buried in the soil as leverage.

There was a loud, aberrant shriek as the first of the Embers collided with Tangela, burning part of the vines that directly shielded its body. Even though it sounded and looked bad, Ash wasn't too concerned about the Tangela's general well-being. It was still a ways away from being defeated. Moreover, Tangela were known for rapidly regenerating their vines.

After all, there was a reason why scientists had yet to find out what was hidden underneath a tangela's vines. Under ordinary circumstances, they grew at an extraordinary pace. When stimulated by pain, anxiety or adrenaline, they grew almost ten times as fast with a significant increase in abundance.

Unfortunately, after being hit by the first Ember, Tangela managed to use its rooted vines to swing itself out of the way of the rest of them.

A couple of Tangela's entrenched vines were hit by the Ember barrage, causing them to set ablaze and disintegrate in an instant. However, other than the ones that had been burned when the first Ember hit, the rest of the vines that were in direct contact with its body were unharmed.

That was okay, though. Charmeleon was the first to deal noteworthy damage in the fight, giving Ash a considerable boost when it came to his confidence. The momentum was his. At least…that's what he thought.

Ash was abruptly reminded of Erika's second order, Bind, when Tangela overcame the damage it had received from Charmeleon's Ember, unleashing a plethora of interwoven vines that covered an expansive amount of space surrounding the fire lizard. The vines abruptly came together, forming what looked like an oversized, blue lasso.

"Get out of there!" screamed Ash at the top of his lungs as Tangela swiftly attempted to sever the space in-between its vines to trap Charmeleon.

His plea was to no avail. Charmeleon tried to do whatever he could to get out of the way of Tangela's Bind. Unfortunately, there was nowhere to go. Tangela completely encompassed him in its vines. The fire lizard let out a painful gasp as he was caught by the bizarre grass-type's Bind.

"Dammit," cursed Ash under his breath while Tangela gradually squeezed Charmeleon tighter and tighter.

"Try and burn the vines!" yelled Ash frantically as he racked his brain in attempt to think of a way to get Charmeleon free from its clutches.

Just as Charmeleon was about to unleash Ember, Tangela separated some of the vines that it had been using to secure the fire lizard and wrapped them around Charmeleon's jaw, sealing it shut. At this point, it was beyond obvious that Tangela had plenty of experience battling against fire-types and that it was a much more formidable foe than he had originally anticipated.

If he didn't think of something soon, he would have no choice but to return Charmeleon in order to rescue him from this situation. He had the luxury of returning his pokemon whenever he felt like it, and right now, it wouldn't be a bad idea to take advantage of that.

"Use Growth again!" commanded Erika.

Her plan didn't surprise Ash. While Tangela had Charmeleon under control, Erika planned on boosting her strength as much as possible. It was a simple strategy; however, in a situation such as this one, it was a good one.

It proved to Ash that Erika wasn't just thinking about the match-up between Charmeleon and Tangela. If she was concerned about Charmeleon, she would be more urgent when it came to finishing him off. No, she was using their present predicament as an opportunity to power up Tangela for the rest of the battle.

On top of the fact that Tangela was using Growth, Ash noticed while watching the grass-type enhance its strength that the vines attached to the ground would, every so often, pulse with a bright, green glow. This let him know that Tangela had in fact been using Ingrain ever since the beginning of the battle, which meant that it was in a position to have its health constantly rejuvenated.

Simply put, if he didn't do something soon, he was screwed.

"Tangela, Constrict and Mega Drain!" bellowed Erika with a large grin on her face.

Ash watched with wide eyes as Tangela's vines squeezed Charmeleon's body even tighter while glowing the same bright green as its Ingrain. As Ash witnessed Charmeleon's energy gradually drain from his body, he shook his head and raised his pokeball in preparation to return him.

If he let this go on for too much longer, Charmeleon would fall unconscious due to a combination of lack of air and stamina. It was better that he pulled him out now, so that he could battle again later. Normally, Ash would be against battling in such a conservative manner, but this was a gym battle, and it was fairly obvious that Erika was a lot better than he thought she would be.

"Charmeleon retur—"

Right when he was about to press down the button to return Charmeleon, he stopped when something unexpected occurred. Tangela's Bind/Constrict/Mega Drain combination came to a sudden halt as smoke started to sputter out from underneath it. There were no visible signs of Charmeleon using Ember, which was his only fire-type technique at the moment, so Ash would be lying if he said that he wasn't confused.

His confusion only increased when Tangela's grasp on Charmeleon began to loosen, allowing the fire lizard to use Ember to burn through the vines that had been binding his maw. It was at that moment that Charmeleon let out a passionate roar that was unlike anything his trainer had ever heard from him.

Maybe it was because Ash was still used to the little charmander that overexerted itself in order to make up for its lack of strength, but he was genuinely surprised by the harsh cry that Charmeleon emitted as Tangela's vines had no choice but to bit by bit disenthrall.

"What is going o—" managed Ash to himself before his attention was snatched away by the sight of Charmeleon's tail flame, suddenly erupting like an exploding volcano.

Ash smirked.

No wonder the vines were receding.

No wonder Charmeleon's entire disposition had changed.

No wonder the tide of the battle had completely reversed.

The fire lizard had been temporarily consumed by his internal flame. Due to being gradually pushed to his limits in such an important battle, Charmeleon had subconsciously activated his ability: Blaze.

Blaze was an ability that was essentially the fire-type equivalent to Wartortle's Torrent. Just like how Ash's water-type had been pushed into a state where his water based moves became nearly twice as strong as they had been before, Charmeleon's internal flame had granted him with the power to overwhelm his opponent before falling unconscious.

Pokemon abilities had the tendency to manifest differently for every individual specimen, but it looked as though Charmeleon had a rather straight forward Blaze. His entire body had been ignited in what looked like a thin layer of flames, which is what had caused Tangela's vines to gradually retreat, and his tail flame was about three times as big as it normally was.

It was as if Charmeleon had been possessed by fire itself as the last of the vines that entrapped his body disintegrated and turned to ash.

Ash quickly suppressed his astonishment, realizing that it was now or never. Blaze wasn't something that Charmeleon would be able to keep up for too much longer. He needed to strike now before the opportunity slipped through his fingers.

"Dragon Rage/Ember combo!" howled Ash, crossing his fingers that Charmeleon hadn't lost himself amidst his internal flame.

Charmeleon responded by letting out a massive burst of purple and orange flames at Tangela. The grass-type quickly used its ingrained vines to swing out of the way of the devastating attack, realizing that it couldn't endure it. However, while fleeing from the powerful technique, it didn't realize that Charmeleon was actually aiming for its buried vines.

"Damn!" cursed Erika from across the arena as Tangela's Ingrain was burned into nothingness within the blink of an eye. "Tangela, you've got to avoid its flames until Blaze runs out!"

"Not happening!" retorted Ash. " Charmeleon, Smokescreen, chain it with Ember/Dragon Rage!"

Obeying Ash, Charmeleon coughed up a thick cloud of black smoke that covered and obscured the space around himself and Tangela. Within the black fog, a bright purple and orange glow illuminated, making itself the only thing visible within Charmeleon's Smokescreen.

Next thing Ash knew, he heard an ear-shattering shriek that caused him to cringe with discomfort. It wasn't all that hard to figure out what had happened. And as the Smokescreen slowly dissipated, it became more and more apparent. Laying face down, unconscious and charred was Tangela, who was unable to endure Charmeleon's enhanced flames.

Charmeleon stood shakily over the grass-type's burnt body, which was rapidly reproducing vines, although it was unconscious. A smile breached the fire lizard's face as Erika returned Tangela, and Charmeleon looked back at his trainer, clearly looking to get praised.

"That was awesome Char—"

Ash was cut-off as Charmeleon's Blaze abruptly stopped, and his previously weary eyes went completely white. Right before Charmeleon fell to the ground, Ash returned him.

"That was awesome, buddy," praised Ash to Charmeleon's pokeball. "I couldn't have asked for a better battle from you."

"I've got to say, I wasn't expecting that!" exclaimed Erika from across the battlefield as she enlarged her second pokeball. "That one turned in your favor quickly!"

"It was still a draw, though!" yelled Ash, "and I had the type-advantage!"

"We already established that type-advantage isn't everything!"

She paused, "Anyway, let's get the next round started! I can't wait to find out what you've got up your sleeve this time!"

Ash couldn't help but internally chuckle. Ironically enough, it was Erika that held her pokeballs in her sleeve...

While contemplating where he got his awful sense of humor from, Ash reattached Charmeleon's pokeball and unclipped Ivysaur's.

He'd be matching Erika with a grass-type of his own this time…

Right before he tossed Ivysaur's pokeball onto the battlefield, Ash glanced off to the side, interested to find out whether or not Eevee was enjoying herself.

Through the semi-translucent barrier, Ash was able to easily make out Skylar, Ruphus, Ellen and Millie, who were all attentively waiting for Ash and Erika's next move. Standing right in-between Skylar and Millie was Eevee. Ash couldn't see her facial expression from his current position, but it looked as though she was glued into what was going on.

"Good," Ash mindlessly whispered to himself.

Thus far, it appeared as if Skylar was right when she said that it would be beneficial for Eevee to witness the battle…

Ash's eyes were drawn back to the battleground when he heard the sound of a pokeball release and saw a bright, white flash in his peripherals. In wake of the flash was a drooling gloom, which didn't surprise Ash. Much like Sabrina's obsession with the abra line, Erika was well known for her love of the oddish family.

He had been expecting at least one to be amongst the team that she was using.

"Focus on the battle!" shouted Erika with an edgy intonation. "Your friends can wait until we are finished!"

Ash gulped. Erika sure could be scary when she wanted to be.

"You're right!" replied Ash, throwing Ivysaur's pokeball onto his side of the battlefield. "It won't happen again!"

Right as Ash finished his sentence, Ivysaur's pokeball snapped open, unleashing a blast of white light. When it faded, Ivysaur stood proud and ready for battle.

"…Y-y-you have an Ivysaur, too!?" stammered Erika as she stared in awe at the severely rare grass-type.

"Too?" questioned Ash, just loud enough so that Erika could hear him. "Do you have an Ivysaur?"

"No, but I've always wanted one!" blustered Erika as she ogled at Ash's friend. "I've been trying to convince Professor Oak to give me a bulbasaur for the last couple of years – since he's the only issuer that is authorized to give them out – but he's either not had any or chosen to give the bulbasaur he's had to someone else! It's the worst!"

She paused as a devilish smirk formed across her face, "I'll trade you for it…"

Ash shook his head definitively as he watched Ivysaur look back at him in a confused manner.

"Not interested!" retorted Ash, slightly offended. "Ivysaur is one of my closest friends! I wouldn't trade him for anything!"

Erika let out a disappointed sigh.

"I figured as much…" she groaned, barely loud enough for Ash to hear. "Well, I guess I should just be happy that I got to see another one!"

"...That's the second time you've mentioned another Ivysaur," said Ash, squinting his eyes in a way that portrayed curiosity, "if you don't have one, who does!?"

Erika's disposition turned sour as she answered, "That little brat that I battled right before you had one! Until today, the only member of the bulbasaur line that I've seen is my mother's venusaur…and it's been a while since I last saw her! But, all of a sudden, I've seen two Ivysaur in the last hour! What are the chances of—"

She clenched her fists, "And you're both from Pallet Town! What the hell!? I'm going to murder Professor Oak! Even though I'm a gym leader, he's denied me a bulbasaur multiple times, but two rookie trainers from the same year! Dammit!"

"Wait a second!" exclaimed Ash, utterly surprised. "Did you just say that the girl you were arguing with was from Pallet Town!?"

He paused, "and she has an ivysuar!?"

"You don't know her?" questioned Erika. "Well, that's weird. I figured you'd both know each other since you're rookies from a small town…no wonder you didn't say anything to each other."

"She must have been the _other _trainer from Pallet," whispered Ash to himself, putting the pieces together.

"What did you say!?" asked Erika, oblivious to the fact that Ash had been talking to himself.

"Nothing," retorted Ash.

"Alright, then," answered Erika. "If you want to talk about this more after the battle, I have no problem doing that! However, we should get things going again! Our pokemon are getting antsy!"

Erika was right. It was obvious that Ivysaur and Erika's gloom were getting irritated by the fact that they had been talking like this in the middle of a gym battle.

Ivysaur was practically leering at his trainer, whereas the gloom was impatiently folding its arms and tapping its foot. Judging by its mannerisms, Ash had a feeling that the gloom Erika had let out had an interesting personality compared to most members of its species.

"Okay!" exclaimed Ash. "Who makes the first move!?"

"How about we just pick things back up on the count of three!?" replied Erika.

"Works for me!"

"Alright, then!" shouted Erika, taking a dramatic pause before continuing.

"One…"

"Two…"

"And three!"

"Ivysaur, use Sunny Day!" bellowed Ash, starting things off by commanding Ivysaur to use the TM move that he had mastered during their time in the White Room.

Following Ash's command, Ivysaur's bud glowed with an extremely bright, orange light before firing straight up into the air. Even though he had seen it multiple times in the White Room over the past couple of days, he had to cover his eyes with his elbow in order to protect himself from temporary blindness.

Now, Ivysaur's Sunny Day was far from a level where it could stabilize into an ersatz sun that could last for a whole entire battle. But, the ephemeral blast of sunlight would work wonders in a battle like this, where they were in a structure that didn't completely block the sun out from the battlefield.

The Celadon Gym's glass roof filtered in enough sunlight that Ivysaur could activate Chlorophyll without Sunny Day. Sunny Day would just enhance that sunlight to a point where it would start out being just as strong as it would have been if they were outdoors.

As the light from the Sunny Day rained down on Ivysaur and Gloom, Ash smiled as his grass-type's bud sparkled while absorbing and converting the sunlight into a natural steroid. With every second that passed by, he could see Ivysaur's leg muscles pulse with more and more energy.

"Acid!" yelled Erika.

Ash's line of sight went from Ivysaur to Gloom as Erika gave the weed pokemon its first command.

"Get ready to dodge!" warned Ash as the drool that was leaking from Gloom's mouth changed from white to a bright orange that looked like vomit.

Ivysaur let out a deep grunt, letting Ash know that he was ready.

The next thing Ash knew, foul smelling orange liquid was being flung across the arena as Ivysaur easily evaded it with the speed that he had attained from Chlorophyll. As soon as the Acid hit the ground, it ate away at the soil, causing Ash to cringe.

Granted, Gloom's Acid wouldn't have the same effect on Ivysaur as it had on the soil. All pokemon had strong enough bodies to endure most corrosive elements. If they didn't, there would be no way to defend against pokemon that relied heavily on decaying poisons such as the grimer and koffing lines.

"Keep it up, Gloom, let's find out just how fast this ivysaur is!"

Obeying its trainer, Gloom spat a speedy barrage of Acid at Ivysaur, trying to assess what kind of agility it was dealing with. The long-ranged assault lasted a couple of minutes as Gloom couldn't make direct contact with Ivysaur. Every so often, one of Gloom's acidic globs managed to indirectly splash Ivysaur, but all it did was leave small burns.

Any damage that Ivysaur took from Gloom, he managed to deal back. While Gloom desperately attempted to land a direct hit with Acid, Ivysaur countered with Razor Leaf. Most of the time, Gloom would intercept the blade-like leaves with Acid, but Ivysaur had still dealt more damage to Gloom than it had to him.

"It's faster than I thought!" exclaimed Erika before calling out to her pokemon. "Gloom, Sweet Scent, now!"

Gloom stopped its assault with Acid before shaking its entire body from side to side. As the round, brown petals on top of its head jiggled back and forth, a pink powder was released into the air.

Even if Erika didn't announced the move beforehand, Ash would have recognized it on account of the fact that he and Ivysaur had been working on mastering Sweet Scent themselves.

Right when the pink powder diffused into the air, it permeated Ash's nostrils, causing a massive grin to take over his formerly serious face. Sweet Scent definitely lived up to its name. There were few things that Ash had smelt that compared to the aroma of Sweet Scent, including the tantalizing smells that existed on behalf of the many perfume shops in Celadon's southwestern district.

Unfortunately, Sweet Scent didn't have the same effect on Ivysaur as it did on him. Ash clenched his fists in frustration as Ivysaur's disposition became less alert, and his movements were less crisp and more sluggish. Since Ivysaur had been in control of the battle because of the speed that accompanied Chlorophyll, Erika was trying to fix the problem by using Sweet Scent to slow him down.

"Don't be discouraged!" shouted Ash, realizing that although Ivysaur's movements had dulled, he was still faster than Gloom. "Use, Take Down!"

Trusting his trainer, Ivysaur tried his best to ignore the fact that his speed had significantly diminished and bounded toward Gloom, who had a mischievous look on its face.

Just by paying attention to its mannerisms, Ash could tell that Erika's gloom was comfortable in battle. Besides, Ash knew it was an experienced gloom the moment it was released because it didn't give off a terrible odor.

It was a well-known fact that Gloom only emitted their famous stench when they felt as if they were in danger. Since Gloom didn't smell – at least as far as Ash could tell – that told him that it didn't find battle as being dangerous, which could mean one of two things. Either it was a complete dunce, or it had enough battle experience to know that the situation wasn't _truly _alarming.

…Ash figured Gloom's case to be the latter.

In any case, it didn't take very long to find out the reason behind Gloom's fiendish smirk. Just as Ivysaur was about to use Take Down to recklessly tackle it, Gloom lowered its head and expelled a condensed cloud of yellow dust.

The yellow dust, which was without a doubt Stun Spore, connected with Ivysaur. Due to its nature as a status effect technique, it didn't give Gloom an immediate advantage. The weed pokemon was barreled over by Ivysaur's strong, stout body, causing it to cry out in pain.

On account of the recoil from Take Down, Ivysaur let out a small whimper of his own. However, Ash wasn't too concerned. Ivysaur was tough enough to endure the punishing side-effect of Take Down. What he was actually worried about was the Stun Spore that the saurian had been hit with. Hopefully, it didn't cause any paralysis issues as the battle went on.

Ash's thoughts were interrupted as both pokemon slowly stood up. With just a glance, he could tell that they were in pain, although he'd say that Gloom was the worse for wear.

"Leech Seed!" shouted Ash, realizing that it would be smart to hit Gloom while it was still shaken.

Ivysaur immediately shot a precipitous battery of parasitic seeds at Gloom, who had no choice but to take them. Unlike Ivysaur, Gloom wasn't used to tough, physical battle. The damage that it had acquired from getting hit by Ivysaur's Take Down was a lot heavier than what his grass-type had gotten from the recoil.

As the Leech Seeds buried themselves within Gloom's body, Ash's eyes lit up. It didn't have that much energy left. If he wanted to win this match-up, now was the time to strike.

"Ivysaur, Sleep Powder!" commanded Ash with fire in his eyes.

Just as Ash's excitement hit a boiling point, Ivysaur froze. He cursed under his breath as it took him no time at all to figure out what had happened. Stun Spore had temporarily incapacitated him. Right when Ivysaur was about to finish Gloom off, the status effect had rendered him immobile.

"Now's our chance!" exclaimed Erika. "Gloom, use Mega Drain!"

All of a sudden, Gloom sprinted the short distance between Ivysaur and itself before wrapping its arms around Ivysaur's side. On account of the fact that Gloom didn't have vines like Ivysaur or the tangela that Ash had battled earlier, it had to rely on using its own limbs in order to perform Mega Drain, which required physical contact.

Ash stared ahead in shock as Gloom's rudimentary hands glowed a bright green while being pressed up against Ivysaur's body. His friend's strength gradually drained away from his body, and Gloom seemed to be getting healthier as it stole and absorbed Ivysaur's energy.

Ash desperately racked his brain in attempt to come up with a way to counter against Gloom's Mega Drain, but unfortunately he couldn't think of anything that didn't involve Ivysaur moving. At this point, the battle's outcome was entirely up to his friend. Despite the fact that he was having the energy stolen from his body, he needed to find the willpower to fight through the paralysis.

Just when Ash started to debate in his head whether or not it would be a good idea to return Ivysaur, he noticed it. Leaking from the first layer of Ivysaur's bud was a bright blue powder. Due to the fact that Erika was on the opposite side of the battlefield, she couldn't see it, and it looked as if Gloom hadn't noticed it yet either.

A smile stretched across Ash's face as the powder fell upon Gloom. By the time the weed Pokemon noticed, it was already too late. Within a fraction of a second, Gloom went from draining Ivysaur's energy to breathing in soil after falling face first into the ground.

"What just happened!?" yelled Erika, astonished. "Gloom was just—"

"Sleep Powder!" answered Ash, "Ivysaur wasn't as defenseless as you may have thought!"

Ash thought he heard a curse word fly out of Erika's mouth, but he was too focused on what was about to happen next to care.

"Can you move!?" Ash questioned the saurian from across the battlefield.

Ivysaur answered him by releasing his vines and wrapping them around Gloom's motionless body.

"I'll take that as a yes!" blurted Ash as the fire reignited in his eyes. "Don't let this opportunity go to waste! Finish it while it's asleep!"

"Gloom, wake up!" begged Erika in a voice of desperation.

Listening to his trainer, Ivysaur lifted Gloom in the air while elongating his vines as far as he could. As Ash looked up and saw Gloom suspended in the air, he couldn't help but frown.

…This was going to hurt.

While letting out a loud grunt, Ivysaur abruptly swung his vines toward the ground in preparation to slam Gloom. About halfway through Gloom's descent, it was enveloped in a radiant ray of red light, signifying that it was being returned.

Given the fact that gym leaders couldn't freely return their pokemon during a gym battle, it was apparent that Erika had forfeited Gloom for the rest of the match, which didn't surprise Ash. If he were in Erika's shoes, he would have done the same thing.

Ivysaur had defeated Gloom the moment that it and its trainer failed to notice Ivysaur's Sleep Powder. There was no need to let Gloom take any more damage, especially since she still had two pokemon left.

After Ivysaur's vines receded back into their natural holsters, Ash watched in concern as he froze once again. This time, it was for a much shorter period of time—only a few seconds. Still, a few seconds was long enough for Ash to question whether or not Ivysaur could continue.

"Can you keep going!?" queried Ash. "If there's any doubt in your mind, let me know!"

Ivysaur turned around and nodded definitively. He didn't have that much energy left; that much was clear. But, he wanted to keep battling. Back in Saffron, he had kept fighting under worse conditions than this. Compared to the exhaustion he had felt while battling against Team Rocket, this was nothing.

"Gotcha'!" replied Ash, reciprocating Ivysaur's nod, "but I won't hesitate to pull you out if I think you're putting yourself in danger!"

Ivysaur answered by gingerly turning around and facing Erika.

"You've got quite the pokemon there!" exclaimed Erika as she placed Gloom's pokeball back into her sleeve. "I thought I had it cornered, and here I am having to decide which pokemon to use next! For your first _real _gym battle, you're a lot better than I thought you'd be!"

She paused as she looked at Ash with an enhanced sense of confidence, "Maybe it's time I got serious!"

Ash's heartbeat hastened, and he unconsciously flipped his hat backwards. He didn't know what Erika was about to release, but as she drew her next pokeball out of her sleeve something was different about her. It was as if she had finally decided that he was worthy of seeing what she was truly capable of.

Ash anxiously clenched Ivysaur's pokeball in his hand while Erika enlarged her pokeball.

The second half of the battle was about to begin.

As Erika lofted her pokeball into the air, Ash couldn't help but contemplate his next course of action. Whatever was about to be released was likely stronger than Erika's first two battlers, and Ivysaur was already on his last leg. The most logical thing to do would be to try and inflict a status effect. If he could manage at least that much, he would be satisfied.

Be that as it may, Erika was a grass-type gym leader whose specialty was status moves. Ash had a feeling that she knew exactly what he wanted to do. Thus, it wasn't going to be easy.

When the light from the release vanished, Ash shook his head in amusement. Of course, right when his friend had managed to squeeze by with a narrow victory against Gloom, Erika would send out an even more experienced looking vileplume.

Ash had only seen a couple other vileplume throughout his journey, and just by looking at Erika's he could tell that they all paled in comparison. Its dark blue body stood just a little bit shorter than Ash, and although its rudimentary hands and feet were short, they were much bulkier than the average vileplume's extremities.

The vileplume's red beady eyes stared ahead at Ivysaur with a look of intrigue, and it showed him a mischievous smile that wasn't all that different from the expression that Gloom had given them.

To be expected, the fully evolved grass-type's most noteworthy feature was the massive, red flower that was growing out of the top of its head. It was by far the largest flower that Ash had ever seen, which worried him.

It was common knowledge that you could tell how strong a vileplume was by the size of their flower. Since the flower atop the specimen in front of him was gargantuan, there wasn't a doubt in Ash's mind that it was powerful.

"Be ready, Ivysaur!" shouted Ash, understanding that he needed to be patient against the flower pokemon. "That vileplume is strong!"

Unlike his battle against Gloom, Ivysaur wasn't in a position where he could physically overpower the grass-type. Vileplume weren't physically feeble pokemon; evolution granted them a much stronger and sturdier body compared to its previous forms. As a matter of fact, in terms of brute strength, Erika's vileplume more than likely surpassed Ivysaur.

"Meet Vileplume!" shouted Erika, gesturing in the direction of the flower pokemon. "The fact that you've been able to draw him out is an accomplishment in and of itself! He's one of my strongest pokemon! I hope that I'm not overestimating you! If I am…good luck!"

She paused as she focused her eyes on Vileplume, "Finish that Ivysaur! It's taken a lot of damage, so it should be a cinch!"

Wasting no time, Vileplume started things off by lowering its head and spewing out an absurd amount of orange acid from the center of its flower. Looking back on his battle against Gloom, Vileplume's Acid smelt way more pungent, and there was a lot more of it. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Vileplume's Acid was on a whole different level.

As soon as the Acid left Vileplume's flower, Ivysaur was already dodging. He could tell that the saurian was exhausted just by watching his movements, which were all over the place because of his tiredness. If Vileplume wanted to, it could get away with using Acid until Ivysaur could no longer keep up, or he was incapacitated because of the Stun Spore.

However, Ash had a feeling that wasn't its objective. Every once in a while, it would peek up at Ivysaur with an eager expression as if it were waiting for an opportunity to finish it off in a more interesting way.

After about a minute of Ivysaur avoiding what seemed like hundreds of globs of acid, Vileplume made its move. With a flippant look on its face, the flower pokemon charged a sphere of green energy in its hands before launching it in Ivysaur's direction. Ash didn't recognize the move, but he could only imagine the kind of damage it would do if it hit.

"Dodge!" shouted Ash frantically as he tried to think of a way to counter.

Fortunately, just as the green orb was about to hit, Ivysaur managed to dart out of the way. Ash did a fist pump, celebrating his grass-type's stellar dodge; however, his mood quickly changed when he noticed that Vileplume was on the move.

As Vileplume bounded toward Ivysaur at a speed Ash didn't think was possible for its species, it loaded another energy sphere in its hands. Once the distance between the two pokemon had been covered, the flower pokemon lunged forward with the intention of burying it into Ivysaur's side.

For a split-second, Ash's instincts wanted him to have Ivysaur dodge, but judging by how close Vileplume had gotten, it would have been useless. There was no way that Ivysaur could get away in his current condition. The only thing he could do was try and go down fighting.

"Poison Powd—"

It was too late. Right before Ivysaur was about to get hit, the Stun Spore parlayed him yet again. All Ivysaur could do was stand there as Vileplume's energy ball crashed into his side. On account of the paralysis, he couldn't even cry out in pain as the momentum of the attack sent him hurtling across the soil to the other side of the battlefield.

When Ivysaur finally came to a stop, it was as plain as day that he was unconscious. His eyes were blank, and he was laying in a position that didn't look particularly comfortable. As Ash raised Ivysaur's pokeball to return him, he couldn't help but feel guilty. He should have pulled Ivysaur out before the battle even started.

Even if Ivysaur disagreed, he wasn't in good enough condition to go up against a pokemon like Vileplume. His grass-type probably could have done something if it was a weaker opponent, but he should have done a better job of reading the situation.

"Ivysaur, return," said Ash to no one in particular, returning the saurian to his capture device.

After placing Ivysaur's pokeball back on his belt, Ash unclipped Growlithe's red and white sphere and enlarged it. Before the battle had even started, he had decided that he would save Pidgeotto for last. So, it wasn't a lengthy decision.

"The battle will continue as soon as you release your next pokemon!" announced Erika.

He answered her by launching Growlithe's pokeball into the middle of the battlefield. They had done enough talking throughout the match. He didn't plan on conversing with Erika again until the battle was over.

When Growlithe's pokeball opened, and the light from the release died out, Growlithe stood confidently in the center of the arena. With his razor-like teeth bared, the puppy pokemon looked like he was more than ready to take on Vileplume.

Vileplume glared back at Growlithe with its beady, red eyes. It was apparent that the fully evolved grass pokemon wasn't intimidated by the fire-type whatsoever.

"_Hmm_…A second fire-type?" queried Erika, cocking her head. "This should be fun!"

"That vileplume is really strong!" warned Ash, causing Growlithe to glance back at him for a split-second. "Take advantage of your typing, but don't underestimate it because it's a grass-type!"

Growlithe let out a confirmatory grunt before focusing his eyes back on Vileplume.

They stared at each other intensely for a couple of seconds before Growlithe made the first move. In a heartbeat, he eliminated the distance between himself and Vileplume, using his untouchable speed to throw Vileplume off balance. Before the grass-type could react, he loaded his maw with fire before unleashing a salvo of fire balls.

One connected, causing the flower pokemon to let out a high-pitched shriek. However, it quickly shook it off and dodged while forming a new expression on its face. Up to this point, Vileplume's demeanor had been arrogant and impish. Now, it was looking at Growlithe with possessed eyes. It reminded him of the bloodthirsty look that Pidgeotto got when he was in a tough battle.

"Here we go!" shouted Ash as he watched the angry grass-type lower its head and expel a flurry of yellow powder at Growlithe. "Dodge!"

Obeying his trainer, Growlithe once again took off in a sprint, easily avoiding Vileplume's Stun Spore barrage. While strafing around the grass-type, appearing as an orange and black blur to the naked eye, Growlithe fired Several Embers in attempt to deal more damage to Vileplume.

The flower pokemon quickly proved that the initial Ember it had been hit by was a case of being caught off guard. Despite Growlithe's overwhelming speed and expeditious firing rate, Vileplume either danced around every Ember that threatened to connect or intercepted them with Acid.

It was an amazing display, but Ash couldn't help but wonder how long the grass-type would be able to keep it up. Although it was unusually agile for its species, it was _still_ a vileplume. Eventually, it would run out of stamina.

Growlithe was a different story, though. It would be foolish for Ash to think that he could keep this pace up forever, but there was no doubt in Ash's mind that he could outlast Vileplume. Be that as it may, Ash doubted that it would be that kind of battle. He was counting on Erika to make a specific move that would help him take control of the current matchup.

"Slow it down with Sweet Scent!" yelled Erika, realizing that Growlithe's natural quickness was problematic.

Ash smirked. He knew they would use Sweet Scent once they experienced Growlithe's speed.

Good...he couldn't have asked for a better scenario. Erika was about to fall into his trap.

"High Velocity Flame Wheel!" bellowed Ash. "You know what to do!"

As Vileplume spat a burst of pink powder out of the core of its flower, Growlithe lunged forward in the direction of Vileplume while igniting himself in an armor of flames. He started off somersaulting at his normal speed, but that changed when he suddenly shifted gears, moving at a rate that was almost three times as fast as an average Flame Wheel.

Completely stunned, Vileplume could do nothing but take Growlithe's extremely fast Flame Wheel head on. It cried out in pain as it was barreled over. The combination of Growlithe's flames and the collision did even more damage than Ash had expected.

After running over Vileplume with Flame Wheel, Growlithe had no choice but to expel his flames.

Growlithe's enhanced Flame Wheel was a move that utilized a tremendous amount of energy. It combined Quick Attack – which Ash had managed to easily teach Growlithe during his trip to Celadon – and Flame Wheel, which were two high energy attacks. When used individually, they didn't drain too much of Growlithe's stamina. However, when combined, they took a lot out of him.

Even when Growlithe was at full strength, he could only use it once without exhausting his body to the point that he could no longer battle. It was a chancy combination move that they had experimented with throughout the last couple of weeks, but it wasn't until their time in the White Room that he had decided it was suitable for battle.

Under ordinary circumstances, he wouldn't risk it, but this battle was a little different. Even with his type advantage, Growlithe stood no chance at overpowering Vileplume. In terms of pure power, Vileplume was way stronger than him, which meant that he would have to rely on his speed and wits to win.

Although High Velocity Flame Wheel was a powerful move that dealt a lot of damage, it's primary purpose was to nullify Sweet Scent. By enveloping himself in flames and rotating his body at an otherworldly speed, Growlithe was able to completely repel and burn away Vileplume's Sweet Scent.

An ordinary Flame Wheel did a pretty good job of protecting Growlithe from Sweet Scent, but it couldn't burn up enough of the powder to where it had zero effect.

This one was different. The flames moved at such a speed that they completely isolated Growlithe from Sweet Scent's potent particles. Against status moves such as Sweet Scent, it had the same effect as Protect while also being able to deal a significant amount of damage.

"What!?" shouted Erika in a confused manner as her scorched Vileplume struggled back up to its feet. "Why didn't it work!?"

Ash shrugged as a big grin formed on his face. Like he'd tell her what had happened.

If Vileplume used Sweet Scent now, Growlithe was done for. After using the new technique, his body was weakened significantly. Right now, he was probably only half as fast as he had been before. For that reason, Ash would keep the specifics involving High Velocity Flame Wheel to himself.

Hopefully, nullifying Sweet Scent once would cause Erika to hesitate when it came to using it again. If she fell for his bluff then It was possible for Growlithe to finish Vileplume off on his own. If not, despite the damage that Vileplume had already accumulated, Ash didn't like Growlithe's chances.

…Vileplume was _that_ strong.

"Moonlight!" yelled Erika, grabbing Ash's attention.

His eyes widened as her command resonated in his ears.

"Crap, Growlithe, hit it with Ember!" blustered Ash. "Don't let it use that move!"

Sensing the urgency in his trainer's voice, Growlithe shot out a quick burst of flames in Vileplume's direction. They weren't strong enough to do any significant damage, but that wasn't what he was aiming for. Growlithe was trying to take Vileplume's attention away from itself, forcing it to cease its attempt at using Moonlight.

To both Ash and Growlithe's displeasure, it didn't work.

Having already raised both of its hands in the air, the flower pokemon's entire body was enshrouded in a pink aura. Vileplume didn't have enough time to dodge the Embers, so they collided with the grass-type head on.

The Embers did damage, but compared to the injuries that Vileplume had just healed with Moonlight, it didn't really matter. Moonlight was a fairy-type technique that Ash had been looking to teach Clefairy for a while now, so he had done a lot of research on it. Essentially, it was a mystical status move that healed the user's injuries depending on the state of the weather.

He couldn't remember every detail, but he was pretty sure that if the conditions were sunny, the user was able to erase a substantial amount of the damage it had sustained before using the technique. Since Ivysaur's Sunny Day had yet to dissolve, Vileplume had likely healed at least half of the damage that Growlithe's High Velocity Flame Wheel had done.

"Based off of your reaction, I'm assuming you're familiar with Moonlight!" stated Erika. "If so, I'm sure you understand what just happened! Too bad! The way that your growlithe handled Vileplume was impressive!"

She paused, "Don't be discouraged, though! I'm sure you have a few more tricks up your sleeve!"

Ash clenched his fist. He liked Erika, but she sure knew how to get in her opponent's head.

He wished he could say that he had another idea in mind when it came to taking back control of the battle, but that would be a lie. All he could do was have Growlithe finish out the battle as best as he could before leaving the rest to Pidgeotto.

…Hopefully, Erika didn't plan on using another monster as her fourth choice.

All of a sudden, Ash's eyes were drawn back to Growlithe when the fire-type used Quick Attack to charge Vileplume. The slightly charred grass-type responded by digging its feet into the ground and holding out its hands as if it were planning to catch Growlithe. An image of Gloom's Mega Drain immediately popped into Ash's head as the fully evolved grass-type's hands glowed green just like its pre-evolved form.

"Don't let it grab you, Growlithe!" bellowed Ash as the puppy pokemon got within striking distance of the powerful grass-type. "It's trying to use—"

Growlithe briskly darted to the right. The moment before Growlithe made his move, Vileplume reached for him and whiffed, likely thinking the fire-type was going to attack head on. As Vileplume stumbled with a surprised look on its face, Growlithe planted his paws into the ground, coming to a complete stop before unexpectedly lunging at Vileplume's side.

While leaping towards Vileplume, Growlithe's maw exploded with flames. At first, Ash thought that the puppy pokemon was about to use Bite/Ember combo, but then he saw something that caught his eye. Amidst the flames that were overflowing from Growlithe's mouth was a shining white light.

It was a subtle difference that most people would have never noticed; however, due to the countless amount of hours that Ash had spent with Growlithe honing the combination technique, he saw it. Growlithe's Bite/Ember combo had finally evolved. The white light in his maw signified that his teeth in and of themselves had ignited.

Bite/Ember combo was no more. In the midst of the heated gym battle, Growlithe had finally learned Fire Fang.

The scream that Vileplume disembogued as Growlithe sunk his scalding hot teeth into Vileplume's side made Ash want to cover his ears. He couldn't even imagine how painful Growlithe's newly learnt Fire Fang was for a grass-type. If he thought about it too much, it made him sick.

It was moments like this that often got to him…pokemon battles could be brutal. There was no use in sugarcoating it. The mightier pokemon got, the more damage they dealt. When both participants were strong, the aftermath of those powers clashing tended to be eye opening.

This was one of those moments.

As Growlithe's blistering jaws burned away at Vileplume's highly flammable flesh, Ash cringed. However, at the same time, he couldn't help but conflictingly raise his fist in support of his friend. His starter was growing stronger right in front of his eyes. In order to help the team attain victory, he was surpassing his limits.

"Fight through the pain!" yelled Erika with desperation in her intonation, "You're not gonna be able to shake it off! Get your hands on it, and use Giga Drain!"

Ash raised his eyebrows, clearly impressed. The fact that Erika was able to think logically in a situation like this was extraordinary.

Exceeding limitations of its own, Vileplume reached down and grabbed Growlithe's body with its green, glowing hands. Ash noticed his friend's body jerk as Vileplume used Giga Drain – in spite of the pain from Fire Fang – to absorb Growlithe's energy.

Due to the fact that Growlithe was already low on energy after using High Velocity Flame Wheel, Ash thought about ordering him to stop his Fire Fang and try to escape Vileplume's clutches. But, he decided not to.

He hadn't been expecting Growlithe to be able to deal this kind of damage once Erika's flower pokemon used Moonlight. Right now, Growlithe was doing everything he could to take Vileplume down. If he stopped his Fire Fang now, there was no guarantee that he would be able to land another move that could help the team win.

Just when Ash assumed that they would both stay where they were until one of them passed out, he watched with intrigue as Growlithe wrapped his forepaws around the base of Vileplume's flower and pushed off of the ground with his posterior paws, elongating his body while keeping his flaming maw buried in Vileplume's sizzling flesh.

"What is he—"

Ash's eyes enlarged and a smirk creeped across his face as he realized what his friend was trying to do.

"Do it, Growlithe!"

With the voice of his trainer driving him to go beyond his limits, Growlithe used his front legs to tightly secure Vileplume before using his hind legs to plunge both of them backwards. On account of his tenacious fighting spirit, at the moment that Growlithe used Reversal, his body tapped into its latent potential, unleashing an incredible surge of power.

Flinging the fully evolved grass-type over his head in a suplex-like motion, Growlithe let out a clamorous roar as he smashed his opponent's head into the soil. Right when Vileplume's head brutally clashed with the ground, Ash witnessed its red eyes jolt prior to going completely blank. Apparently, the cushion that it got from the colossal flower on its head wasn't enough to protect it from unconsciousness.

Even though Vileplume had lost consciousness, Ash was too worried about Growlithe to celebrate. Because he had performed Reversal from a grappling position, he wasn't able to gain the momentum necessary to shield himself from the impact. As a result, Growlithe was now sprawled out on the ground next to Vileplume in a near identical state.

"Great battle, buddy," said Ash in a soft voice as he returned his best friend. "That was unbelievable."

He paused as he gazed down at his friend's pokeball in awe, "Get some rest. I'll take you to the Pokemon Center as soon as this battle's over."

After shrinking Growlithe's pokeball and securing it on his belt, he looked up at Erika, who was speaking to Vileplume's pokeball in a similar manner. Even though they had just been involved in a heated battle, it was pleasant to see another trainer care for her pokemon the same way that he did.

Testing your limits while growing closer as a team was what it was all about, after all. Taking the time to congratulate your friends every time they competed was as important as the battle itself. At least, that's how he had always viewed it. He had experienced enough over the past couple of months to know that no two trainers saw things the exact same way.

"It's been a while since Vileplume lost like that!" yelled Erika while Ash reached for Pidgeotto's pokeball and enlarged it. "You're a good trainer, Ash! I should have gone all out against you from the start!"

A large grin stretched across her pretty face, "That was _really _fun!"

"Thanks!" replied Ash, clenching his avian's pokeball. "But, it's not over yet! What do you say we finish this!?"

She responded by pulling her last pokeball out from the depths of her sleeve.

"I'm ready whenever you are!"

This time, instead of waiting for a count, Ash took the initiative by being the first to toss his pokeball into the open. Erika was right behind him, though, lofting her pokeball onto her side of the battlefield. The two red and white spheres snapped open in succession, unleashing an efflux of blazing light.

The first to emerge from the refulgent illumination was Pidgeotto. With two heavy thrusts of his wings, he was rocketing high above the battlefield. He let out a discordant, ear-splitting squawk when he saw the roof and realized that he was indoors. Ash shook his head in an amused manner. His avian was _so _predictable.

Ash's line of sight was suddenly ripped back down to ground-level as the remainder of the light from the releases faded, and Erika's last pokemon was revealed.

Standing assuredly on the opposite side of the arena was a pokemon that Ash had heard a lot about, but had never actually seen in person. Erika's final choice was the fully evolved form of one of Kanto's current starters: Meganium.

The first thing that Ash noticed was that it was a lot cooler looking in person than it was in text books or his pokedex.

Its pale green, sauropod-like body was extremely unique in comparison to some of the other grass-types that he had seen, and its bright, yellow eyes were beautiful and perfectly matched the color of the two stamen-like protrusions that sprouted out from above its nose. It had a gorgeous pink flower with a central yellow pattern and white tips around its long neck, and the small tail that protruded from its posterior was rather cute in his opinion.

Overall, it looked a lot more appealing to him now than when he was originally debating what kind of starter he wanted. It would be interesting to find out what kind of battler it was. Given the fact that Erika had saved it for last, he figured that it was a powerful specimen.

"This should be—"

Ash was cut off, and his attention was once again drawn to his pidgeotto when the massive avian decided to make a sudden landing directly in front of him. He proceeded to puff out his chest while flapping both of his wings aggressively in the direction of the meganium, causing Ash to subconsciously raise both of his eyebrows.

Normally, in an official battle, Pidgeotto wouldn't take the time to examine his opponent before engaging in combat. When it came to his savage friend, this kind of behavior could mean two things. Either he could tell that the pokemon he was about to battle was a worthy opponent, or he was trying to show off.

Given the circumstances, Ash could see it being both. But, he had a feeling that it was more of the former rather than the latter. His bloodthirsty friend was a pretty good judge of strength; if Ash could tell that Erika's meganium was powerful then so could Pidgeotto.

"If you win this, we win the gym battle!" shouted Ash, stating the stakes.

He paused, "I'm counting on you!"

Pidgeotto let out another loud squawk. There wasn't a doubt in Ash's mind that he was up for the challenge.

"A-are you sure that's not a pidgeot!?" stammered Erika, speaking up for the first time since both of their last choices had been revealed.

She had a look of pure shock on her face as she pointed at Pidgeotto with a shaky finger.

"Nope!" retorted Ash, amused. "He's definitely a pidgeotto."

The gym leader blinked several times as if she were trying to force her sight back into reality. Ash simply shook his head; it was apparent that she had never seen a pokemon with the king's nature before.

All of a sudden, she took both of her hands and slapped her cheeks simultaneously in attempt to wake herself up from her stupor.

"Whatever, it may be an impressive specimen, but it's nothing Meganium can't handle!" shouted Erika with a hint of pride in her voice.

"We'll see—"

He was interrupted by Pidgeotto, who responded to Erika's comment with yet another cacophonous outcry.

"Quite the feisty one!" exclaimed Erika with wide eyes. "Meganium, show it that size means nothing compared to experience!"

Obeying its trainer's command, Meganium disembogued a ferocious roar before expelling a flurry of razor-sharp leaves – out from somewhere under its flower – toward Pidgeotto. The avian wasted no time distinguishing the technique. Having had plenty of practice dodging Razor Leaf while sparring with Ivysaur, Pidgeotto exploded off of the ground, easily avoiding Meganium's long-ranged assault.

Meganium responded by firing another group of blade-like leaves at Pidgeotto. This time, they cut through the air at a speed that looked to be nearly twice as fast as before, telling Ash that Meganium was skilled at altering the velocity of its Razor Leaf.

Pidgeotto dodged again, though, moving through the air at a decently fast speed. It wasn't his top speed, and it was nowhere close to comparing to what he was capable of while using Agility. Nevertheless, the fact that Meganium had Pidgeotto meticulously weaving through the air so early on in the battle was a bit concerning, especially since the fully evolved grass-type had only used one move.

As the second barrage of razor leaves bypassed Pidgeotto without making contact, Ash watched with anticipation as his flying-type shackled his wings and descended into a dive.

At first, he gradually built up speed as he neared Meganium. However, a few seconds before impact, his speed hastened tremendously, and he spread his wings in order to level out parallel to the ground. A smirk formed on Ash's face as Pidgeotto phased into Quick Attack with the intention of flying through the space that Meganium currently occupied.

Ash's eyes widened when Meganium suddenly lowered its head and emitted a flash of auroral blue and purple light out of the two anther tipped stamen on its head.

At first glance, Ash thought that it was some sort of energy based attack. However, as the light solidified into a circular shaped barrier, and he witnessed Pidgeotto merely push back Meganium, only inflicting a fraction of the damage that Quick Attack should have dealt, he realized what had happened.

Meganium had used Reflect.

Having stopped Pidgeotto's progress, Meganium shook off the greatly diminished Quick Attack before waving its petals in order to cast out a condensed cloud of purple powder. At such a short distance, there was no way for Pidgeotto to dodge. The Poison Powder permeated through the back side of the Reflect prior to collapsing on Pidgeotto.

"Dammit!" cursed Ash aloud, realizing that Meganium had just baited them into a costly trap. "Pidgeotto, get out of there!"

Letting out an annoyed cry, Pidgeotto stuck out his talons and dragged them through the soil, creating space between himself and the drifting grass-type. He proceeded to thrust his wings in the direction of Meganium, throwing a malicious Gust before flapping both of his wings downward and shooting up into the sky.

A mist of Poison Powder descended from above, falling from Pidgeotto's body down to the middle of the battlefield. Ash crossed his fingers that his friend had managed to get rid of the powder before ingesting its toxins, but that was just wishful thinking. There was no way that he hadn't been poisoned after being exposed to that much Poison Powder.

There was no time to process the fact that Pidgeotto had been poisoned as a quartet of

Razor Leaves flew through the air toward Pidgeotto at an expeditious rate. This time the dangerous projectiles moved even faster than the last time, causing Pidgeotto's eyes to widen the second they entered his field of vision.

He was clipped in the wing by one, resulting in an angry squawk before he used Quick Attack to avoid the others. At this point, it was obvious that Meganium was a quick thinking battler. By putting pressure on Pidgeotto with nonstop attacks, it had taken control of the battle.

"Twister!" yelled Ash, wanting to take the offensive.

With a barbarous look on his face, Pidgeotto filtered draconic energy from the atmosphere and infused it into a medium-sized twister. As it charged within one of the avian's wings, Meganium calmly and wisely used the opportunity to unleash a plethora of leaves that were coated with pink, purple and blue energy.

Ash instantly recognized the technique that Meganium was using as Magical Leaf: a long ranged grass-type attack with small traces of psychic energy. The leaves psychic properties made it so that they were sharper than ordinary leaves – although not as sharp as Razor Leaf – and never missed unless they were forcibly intercepted.

As Pidgeotto launched the Twister at Meganium, it managed to suck up a few of the altered leaves; however, the majority of them managed to get through. While the flying-type was partially struck by Meganium's attack, the fully evolved sauropod wasn't able to escape Twister's vacuum-like wind current.

Both pokemon let out cries of pain as they took damage from each others' attacks. Ash watched with concern as Pidgeotto grimaced a little more than he expected, and he noticed a weary look in his avian's eye that he hadn't picked up on earlier. If he wasn't sure that Pidgeotto was poisoned before, he definitely was now, which meant that they would need to find a way to finish off Meganium soon.

Eventually the poison would get to Pidgeotto. The moment his friend had gotten poisoned, the battle had become just as much about beating time as it was about defeating Erika and her Meganium.

"Pidgeotto, get it off-balance with Whirlwind!" shouted Ash as an idea formed in his head.

The bird pokemon quickly conjured two non-draconic twisters – one in each wing – before launching them both at Meganium. As they landed on the soil and rapidly approached the relatively slow sauropod, it managed to avoid one twister before being sent tumbling backward by the other one.

The Whirlwind didn't have enough power to actually hurt Meganium, but it didn't matter. In order to accomplish what he wanted to, sending Meganium's balance into disarray was more than enough.

"Agility and then Sand Attack!"

Like a breakneck jet, Pidgeotto descended toward Meganium. It almost looked as though he had teleported a couple of times along the way, leaving after-images in the places that he appeared. In a single swooping motion, he dug both of his talons into the ground before scooping up two hefty piles of soil and propelling them at Meganium's face.

Although they didn't practice Sand Attack very often, Pidgeotto accurately threw the soil right into Meganium's eyes, causing it to let out an angry and aggravated roar. While the grass-type was busy excessively blinking in order to recover its vision, Pidgeotto sprung into action. He didn't need Ash to tell him that he had just created an opportunity that he had to take advantage of.

Within the blink of an eye, Pidgeotto used Agility to ascend back into the air. Once he put enough distance between himself and Meganium, he spread both of his wings and formulated two Twisters.

As what sounded like a freight train howled above him, Ash brought his eyes down to ground level in order to check on Meganium. To be expected, after getting hit by such a well placed Sand Attack, the herb pokemon was still desperately trying to get the dirt out of its eyes.

Ash's heart started to race when he focused his line of sight back on Pidgeotto just in time to witness him thrust both of his wings downward, catapulting the Twin Tempest at Meganium.

"Meganium, watch out!" shouted Erika with a hint of fear in her voice.

While continuing to attempt to shake the soil out of its eyes, Meganium tried to leap out of the way. Unfortunately for the grass-type, the pull from the avian's duel twisters was too powerful to escape. While letting out a cry of frustration, Meganium was yanked into the converging purple whirlwinds, unable to do anything about it.

"Nice job, Pidgeotto!" praised Ash, although it was unlikely that he could be heard over the blustering tornado.

The Twin Tempest lasted for roughly a quarter of a minute before fizzling out into nothingness. Once it had ended, Ash was shocked to find Meganium still standing—not because the grass-type was weak, but because not very many pokemon were able to endure it without being knocked out.

Despite the fact that its legs were wobbling, and it looked like it had injuries all over its body, Ash could tell that it wasn't out for the count. He also saw that the powerful twisters had removed the soil from the sauropod's eyes, which was the only negative result of the attack.

After seeing Meganium's condition, Ash looked up at Pidgeotto, who was visibly exhausted. With every second that went by, Ash could tell that the poison was doing more and more damage. It was even more evident now that the avian had used Twin Tempest; powerful techniques tended to accelerate the after-effects of a finely concocted Poison Powder.

"Synthesis!" commanded Erika, making Ash's stomach drop.

"You can't let it use that move!" bellowed Ash frantically.

It was clear by his confused facial expression that Pidgeotto didn't know what Synthesis was, but he phased into Agility nonetheless, making a break to stop Meganium from using the healing technique.

As Ash nervously bit the inside of his mouth, his eyes suddenly widened when Pidgeotto stopped halfway, grimacing on account of the toxins that were attacking his insides. At the same time, Erika's grass-type's entire body shined bright green as some of its injuries recovered.

Synthesis was another healing technique in which its effectiveness was highly dependent on the weather. And just like Gloom's Moonlight, it worked better when the conditions were sunny making it the second move that Erika called out in order to take advantage of Ivysaur's leftover Sunny Day…

"Gust!" commanded Ash, unwilling to handover the momentum to Erika without a fight.

One after the other, Pidgeotto used both of his wings to launch multiple bursts of wind at Meganium. The herb pokemon responded by lowering its head, planting its feet in the ground, and emitting a bright pink ray of light out of its anthers. The light formed into a rectangular shaped barrier that only covered its anterior. However, the partial Light Screen covered enough of its body to protect it from Pidgeotto's repetitive Gusts.

As the fully evolved grass-type was gradually pushed back on account of Pidgeotto's assault, it looked up at the flying-type as if it was waiting for something. By the time Ash figured out what it was, it was too late. When Pidgeotto suddenly froze again because of the pain caused by the poison, Ash cursed under his breath for not figuring it out earlier.

"Petal Dance!"

Using the poison's internal strike as an opportunity to take complete control of the match, Meganium began to move its feet, slowly walking in a small circle. As it did its independent waltz, what looked like hundreds of small, pink petals fell from underneath the large flower around its neck.

A light breeze enveloped Meganium, picking up the pink petals and circling them around its body. For a second, Ash foolishly thought that it was Pidgeotto's doing because of the nature of the unnatural current of wind. But, he was quickly reminded of the command that Erika had shouted when Meganium's eyes went into a blank, white, trance-like state.

This was Petal Dance: an incredibly strong and risky grass-type attack. Ash wasn't too sure about the specifics; Ivysaur couldn't learn it, so he hadn't really looked that far into it.

However, he was aware that its effects were a double-edged sword. It was capable of dealing an absurd amount of damage, but it involved the user putting itself into a hypnotic state that could last up to a couple of minutes. And once Petal Dance was over, the pokemon that relied on its power would be severely confused.

The fact that Erika had commanded Meganium to use Petal Dance meant that she planned to end things here. This was her final pokemon's finishing move. If Pidgeotto got hit by this, it would be over.

"Fight the poison!" cried Ash. "Dodge it when it comes!"

The wind surrounding Meganium gradually got faster and faster until it appeared as though the fully evolved sauropod was being concealed within a revolving barrier. Every once in a while, Ash was able to catch a glimpse of Meganium's vacant eyes within the few gaps in the blended petals.

Suddenly, Ash unconsciously jerked back as the petals broke from their revolution, striking at Pidgeotto like a faceless arbok.

"Move!"

Just as the Petal Dance was about to connect, Pidgeotto mustered up the energy to beat his wings, sending himself soaring to the other side of the arena. He managed to outmaneuver the horde of petals once, but Ash knew that it wouldn't be that easy.

"Watch out!" screamed Ash as the streak of pink made a rapid u-turn before proceeding to chase after the avian like a homing missile. "It's behind—"

Ash's jaw dropped and his voice stopped when the poison struck Pidgeotto again, causing him to abruptly stop in midair and hock up what looked like purple and black phlegm.

"Shi—"

There was an ear-shattering screech and an intense crash that occurred at the moment of impact. Ash's stomach sunk and his eyes enllarged as he watched it happen. As Pidgeotto was engulfed by the raging river of petals, there was a moment of disbelief before all hope was lost.

It was over…he had lost.

Ash's eyes remained focused above him as the petals lost their focus, mindlessly spiraling throughout the air and bouncing off of the exeggutors' barrier whenever they tried to escape the battle's domain. A few seconds went by as Ash tried to wrap his mind around his defeat before realization struck.

Where was Pidgeotto? Why hadn't his body fallen?"

He started to panic as images of Pidgeotto being battered by knifelike petals appeared in his head.

What was going on?

...Could he be stuck?

"I think it's fair to assume that this battle is over!?" shouted Erika from across the battlefield.

Ash ignored her while he surveyed what was beginning to a feel like a living entity above him. He searched for any sign of Pidgeotto. If he wasn't on the ground, he had to be in there somewhere, right?

Just when Ash was on the verge of desperately and aimlessly trying to return Pidgeotto, he saw something. In the middle of the pink storm was an explosion of argent light.

At first, it was expansive and formless, tricking Ash into thinking that it was indicating the end of Petal Dance's cycle. However, when it constricted and took the form of a titanic, amplifying, winged creature, Ash nearly dropped Pidgeotto's pokeball.

Evolution…?

Could it be?

Once the figure had finished growing and glowing, leaving a gargantuan black silhouette amongst the petals, Ash watched in awe as the being he assumed to be his avian shackled his wings for a short moment before casting them outward in a dynamic fashion. All of the petals surrounding his friend were expelled, being sent flying in every direction.

For a split-second Ash saw the form of a bird at least twice the size of Pidgeotto. Its lengthy, gold and red crest flowed throughout the air like an opulent ribbon, catching his immediate attention. Right when it occurred to him that his friend was no longer a pidgeotto, but a pidgeot, he was gone, vanishing by means of and Agility that far surpassed what he was capable of in his previous form.

He reappeared once for a sliver of a moment – somewhere between his previous position and Meganium's entranced form – before unexpectedly arriving directly in front of Meganium. All the while, Ash witnessed out of his peripherals that the previously scattered petals, from Petal dance, were racing to reassemble.

As the piercing, pink foliage converged towards its master and the newly evolved pidgeot at a frightening rate, Ash stared ahead anxiously and curiously when the monstrous bird winded back one of its wings before ruthlessly using it to hit Meganium across the head.

Getting hit by what seemed to be Wing Attack – a hard-hitting physical attack that used a pokemon's wings to powerfully strike the opponent – Meganium was sent tumbling across the soil.

At the same time, either because of the attack or the fact that a considerable amount of time had passed since Meganium first used the technique, the petals abruptly came to a stop and dropped to the ground before fading into nothingness.

After striking the sauropod with a technique that it had learnt during evolution, which was a phenomenon that rarely occurred, Pidgeot used Quick Attack to briskly reach Meganium. It was no longer under the trance of Petal Dance. However, it was extremely confused, sporadically switching between struggling to its feet and smashing its head into the ground.

While the grass-type helplessly wrestled with itself on the ground, Pidgeot landed behind it before holding both of its wings out in front of himself, parallel to one another. Forming within its wings was what started out a small, condensed, purple Twister. Then, Pidgeot rapidly spread its wings as far as possible, causing the minute Twister to grow exponentially.

Hissing like a thousand steam kettles, the Twister continued to grow until it was as tall as the avian's oversized body and as broad as his ample wingspan. Over the grating sound of the Twister, Ash could barely hear Erika, who was crying out to Meganium, begging it to come to its senses and move out of the way.

Ash also thought he heard a plethora of outcries coming from outside of the barrier. Up until now, he had almost forgotten about his friends that were watching the battle. Hopefully, after this last move, Eevee would be more than convinced by his ability as a trainer, and the Worthingtons would be even more confident that the silver kit would be in good hands.

"Finish it!" cried Ash at the top of his lungs.

Pidgeot let out a prideful squawk that gave Ash goosebumps before throwing his wings downward, dropping the overpowered Twister on top of Meganium. There was a loud gasp when the tempest hit. If there was a cry, Ash couldn't hear it amidst the impact of the attack.

He was forced to cover his eyes as soil spurted in every which direction—indiscriminate towards who or what it hit. It wasn't until the aftermath of the attack cleared out that he realized the battle was truly over.

Standing over Meganium's unconscious body, flapping his wings and puffing out his chest, was the newly evolved Pidgeot. He let out a triumphant squawk while staring down at his prey. A smile crept across Ash's face at that moment. He was happy to see that Pidgeot hadn't changed after evolving.

"Great job, Pidgeot!" exclaimed Ash as he sprinted out to meet him in the middle of the battlefield. "You did it!"

The monstrous beast looked back at his trainer with an enthralled expression before lightly flapping his wings and lowering his head so that Ash could pet him. He could see it in his eyes that he was emotional. After all, becoming a powerful Pidgeot was his dream.

While Ash reached up to stroke Pidgeot's plumage, he realized just how big the fully evolved flying-type was. Even when he leant over, Ash had to get up on his toes to reach his face. He wasn't the best at estimating height, but Pidgeot likely stood at least ten feet tall. If it weren't for their history together, Ash would be terrified, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't slightly intimidated.

Other than his overwhelming size and gorgeous crest, Ash noticed that his tail feathers were now completely red and that his beak and talons had gotten a lot sharper. The black feathers around its eyes now went all the way down to his neck rather than stopping just passed his eyes, and Pidgeot's eyes looked a little more focused and dignified.

"You look incredible…" drawled Ash. "Do you feel a lot stronger?"

Pidgeot nodded his head while disemboguing a joyous chirp. This was the happiest Ash had ever seen him outside of battle. It melted his heart to see the savage, sadistic pidgeotto he had found in one of Viridian Forest's trees excited about what he had become. It made Ash feel a certain level of fulfillment that he had never experienced before.

One of his friends had reached their final evolution. It was just another milestone that at one point felt so far away that they had at long last achieved. It was an indescribable feeling.

"Whoa…" muttered Erika as she walked over to Ash. "The closer you get, the more you realize just how much of a giant it is."

It was while Erika made her way over to him that he noticed that she had already returned her fallen Meganium. Her line of sight was stuck on Pidgeot as she appeared to be trying to get a grasp over his existence.

"I know, right?" said Ash. "I knew he would be enormous once he evolved. I mean, it's not like he was average sized when he was a pidgeotto. But, still…this is crazy."

"Crazy," retorted Erika, "crazy doesn't even come close to doing it justice. I've seen my fair share of pidgeot, and it's rare that they're more than five feet tall."

She paused as she pointed at Pidgeot with a nervous finger, "Yours is at least ten feet tall! I've never seen anything like it!"

"Yeah, he's special," answered Ash with a smile.

"You can say that again," inserted Ruphus as he, the rest of the Worthingtons, and Eevee walked over to him and Erika. "Quite the match, Ash. All of your pokemon were impressive, not just Pidgeot, although I was rather blown away by his size. Like Erika said, I've never seen anything like it."

"Thanks," replied Ash, "that means a lot. And Pidgeot's size is due to a rare genetic mutation called the king's nature. I'd rather not take the time to explain all of the details, but essentially he's a giant compared to most of his species.

He paused as he looked back at his friend, "Although that part is kind of self-explanatory."

"The king's nature…" replied Ruphus, raising an eyebrow, "that sounds famil—"

"Oh my God, Ash, that was an unbelievable battle!" blurted Skylar, placing Eevee's pokeball in Ash's hands and interrupting her father. "I was _so _nervous!"

She glanced down at the silver fox that was looking up at Ash in a contemplative manner, "So was Eevee! You definitely impressed her!"

Ash didn't know Eevee well enough to even attempt to guess what she was thinking, but Ash had a feeling that she was trying to figure out what to do with herself. This was the first time that they had interacted since before their battle, and it was obvious that she felt awkward. He was her trainer now after all, which would take some getting used to.

He folded his arms and smiled while looking at Eevee with a soft expression.

"So, what do you think?" he asked. "Are you happy with your decision?"

Eevee nodded hesitantly as she slowly walked a little closer to Ash. Her personality seemed to differ a lot from what he had seen the first few times he had met her. Oddly enough, she was acting kind of shy.

Ash crouched down, looking at Eevee as amicably as possible, "Don't push yourself. I know it will take a little while to get used to having me as a trainer. How to act around each other doesn't always come naturally. We'll figure it out. As long as you hang in there with me and follow my lead when it comes to training, everything else will work its way into place."

Eevee responded by wagging her bushy tail and letting out an agreeable yap.

"Well, wasn't that just darling!?" uttered Ellen as she reached down to wrap Eevee and Ash up in a three way hug.

"Oh, no you don't," said Ruphus with an amused smile as he swiftly grabbed his wife by the waist and pulled her close to him. "This is their moment. The last thing they want is one of your deathly hugs."

She pouted as she folded her arms and looked away from him.

"I was in control that time! You're such a fun sucker, Ruphus!"

Ash forced himself not to laugh as he witnessed Ruphus dramatically roll his eyes without his wife noticing.

"So, I'm guessing you just got this stunning little eevee?" questioned Erika while Ash stood up from his crouched over position.

"Yup," replied Ash before giving a quick little summary of the circumstances involving how he became Eevee's trainer.

"I see…" drawled Erika as she pivoted her glance between Pidgeot and Eevee, "so you have an Ivysaur, a king's something or other pidgeot and a silver eevee. You're quite the lucky one, aren't you?"

"You could say that," answered Ash sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. "It would be a lie to say that I caught them all with skill alone."

"No need to be bashful," said Erika with a cheery smile. "Great trainers don't become great trainers without a little bit of luck. There's nothing wrong with that."

She paused as she shifted her line of sight over to her sister, Millie, who had joined them in the middle of the battlefield while Ash was explaining to Erika how he got Eevee, "Millie, could you give Ash his prize?"

"Of course," she answered before reaching into the sleeve of her yukata, just like her older sister, and pulling out a tiny multi-colored trinket.

It was shaped like a flower with eight different colored petals emerging from its silver core. Celadon Gym's badge was by far the prettiest one that he had earned thus far.

"On behalf of your victory at the Celadon Gym," said Erika she took the badge out of her sisters hand, "I hereby reward you with the Rainbow Badge."

She flashed him an earnest smile before gently placing the badge in Ash's outstretched hands, "You gave me a wonderful battle, Ash. I look forward to seeing how you fare at the conference."

"Thanks, Erika," replied Ash gratefully as he examined his new badge for a bit before sticking it in his jacket pocket.

He'd put it in his badge case later. He still had a few questions he wanted to ask Erika before he and his friends left. She had promised him that she would tell him more about the other trainer from Pallet after the match. Moreover, there was something else that he had been dying to know ever since the beginning of the battle.

"Hey, Erika..." said Ash in a way that suggested that he had something he wanted to get off of his chest.

"Yes."

"I have a question."

"What is it?"

"Where exactly do you keep your pokeballs?" he asked in an oblivious manner. "You kept reaching into your sleeve, but that doesn't exactly make sense. Do you have clips in there or something?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

He nodded; it must have been some kind of top secret technology.

Catching him off guard, Erika leant over and whispered something in his ear.

The second he heard what she had to say, his face lit up as red as a the top half of a pokeball.

"Oh…"

XXX

"How much longer do you plan on staying in Celadon?" asked Skylar as the two of them waited in one of the Pokemon Center's lounges for his friends to get healed.

"I was planning on leaving tomorrow," said Ash, "but we ended up staying at the gym a lot longer than I thought we would."

He paused as he let out a light chuckle, "I never would have guessed that I'd have so much to talk about with Erika. She's a lot different than people make her out to be."

"Yeah," replied Skylar, "her reputation has taken a hit because of some of the decisions she's made, but she's a really nice person, and a lot better at battling than people think. She's still young, but I think that she will become a gym leader that people look up to eventually."

"I can see that," answered Ash. "Anyways, I still have some stuff that I've got to get done before I leave, so I probably won't leave for Fuchsia until the day after tomorrow."

"What do you have to do?"

"Err…make some calls, check out Celadon's southeastern district, and let my pokemon rest a bit before our next big trip."

"Gotcha'," chirped Skylar. "Have you thought about how you're going to get to Fuchsia?"

"What do you mean?" queried the dark-haired boy. "I usually just walk…"

"That might be a bit of a problem, though," said the pretty girl in a curious manner. "You do know that in between Routes 16 and 18 is the Cycling Road, right?"

"Cycling Road…" drawled Ash, confused, "I've never heard of it."

"You're kidding me," she retorted, clearly surprised. "How have you never heard of the Cycling Road? It's extremely famous! Like, everybody knows about it!"

"Everybody except me…I guess," said Ash, leaning back in his chair. "What is it?"

"It's an incredibly long bridge that you can only access if you have a bicycle," replied Skylar. "I've never actually been on it myself, but I've heard that it's really cool. A lot of trainers hangout on it, so it's a great place to go if you're looking for battles."

"How long is it?"

"I think it takes most people a couple of days to cross," answered Skylar, "but that's just what I've heard."

"Gotcha'," replied Ash, nodding his head. "Well, I don't have a bike, and money is kind of an issue right now, so I guess I'll just have to find another way to Fuchsia."

"I can ask my parents if they wouldn't mind lending you some money to buy one," offered the pretty blonde. "I wish I could lend you mine, but it's broken."

She paused as she let out a cute giggle, "Besides, it's pink, and I have a feeling you don't want to cross Cycling Road with a pink bike."

"Yeah, I'll pass," answered Ash. "Your parents have already done enough for me. I'd rather not ask them to buy me a bike. What are the options for people that don't have a bike?"

"There's a ferry service that takes a water route from Route 16 straight to Fuchsia," said Skylar. "That's what most people that don't take Cycling Road do."

"I'll do that, then."

"It's not a horrible idea," replied Skylar. "The only drawback is that its about a week long trip. The ferries aren't exactly high-quality. It's not like the ones that take people to and from the Cinnabar or the Seafoam Islands."

"A week!?" queried Ash. "Are the ferries big enough for me to train on?"

She looked at him with a dumbfounded expression.

"It's a ferry…not the SS _Anne."_

Ash gulped as horrid memories of fear and death invaded his mind. She _would_ use the SS _Anne _as an example.

"Ash, what's wrong?" asked Skylar, concerned. "Did I say something wrong?"

"I-it's fine," stammered Ash. "I mean, I'm fine."

He paused as he thought up a lie, not wanting to discuss his experience involving the sunken ship, "I just can't afford to ride a ferry for that long without being able to train. I'm going to need to train as much as possible if I want to beat Koga, especially after hearing what everyone's been saying about him."

"Well, I don't know, then," retorted Skylar. "If you can't walk there, and you can't take a ferry, what else is th—"

She stopped mid-sentence as Ash looked at her with an elated expression.

"Pidgeot, he finally evolve!" blurted Ash.

"And?" questioned Skylar.

"Well, even though he was big enough as a pidgeotto, I wasn't able to ride him for too long because it was hard for me to go bareback. But, now that he's a pidgeot, I can buy him a saddle. Problem solved; I'll just take Pidgeot to Fuchsia."

"That's a great idea!" exclaimed Skylar.

Her expression went from excited to serious in the blink of an eye.

"What's wrong?" asked Ash.

"Didn't you spend all of your money on TMs? You're faced with the same problem as buying a bike? Getting a saddle that's big enough for your pidgeot won't be cheap."

"Dammit…" cursed Ash, realizing that she was right.

They sat there for a moment in silence, trying to think of a way to make it work without having to borrow money from Skylar's parents, when Ash's xtranceiver started to ring.

"_Ring…"_

"_Ring…"_

"Who is it?" asked Skylar.

Ash looked down at the screen in a curious manner. It read: Bill Montgomery.

_"_I'm going to take this," said Ash as he stood up out of his chair. "It might take a little bit. Do you mind?"

"Not at all," Skylar responded, understanding that it must be important.

"_Ring…"_

After making sure that Skylar wasn't offended that he was taking a call in the middle of their conversation, Ash walked over to the far corner of the lobby, putting enough distance between himself and the next closest person so that he wouldn't be overheard.

Once he found a spot that was to his liking, he received the call.

"_Click."_

"Hey, Bill!" exclaimed Ash as a close-up of his friend's fresh face appeared on screen.

"Ash, my friend, how goes it!?" exclaimed Bill.

His expression was priceless. It looked as if he was on the edge of his seat, and the level of excitement he was giving off was overwhelming. It was as if he had spent the last couple of weeks waiting to make this call.

"I'm good," replied Ash with a smile. "I'm glad you called. I was going to wait until tomorrow to call you, but this is fine."

"Yeah, Sabrina called me and told me that you would be calling soon," explained Bill. "She also filled me in on your encounter with the bloody ninetails—freaking nuts if I say so myself. Anyways, I was going to wait until you called, but I got too excited! I had to find out how you were doing! And well…there's some other stuff, but your wellbeing comes first!"

"Thanks," answered Ash, "like I said, I've been good. My time in Celadon had been great. I just got done at Erika's gym, and now I'm waiting for my pokemon to get healed up."

"I take it you won?" questioned Bill, knowing the answer.

"It was close, but I managed. If Pidgeotto wouldn't have evolved at the end, I would have lost," replied Ash, getting an interested look from Bill. "Anyways, what's the other stuff that you mentioned? What do you have to talk to me about?"

"Pidgeotto evolved!" cheered Bill, unable to contain himself. "I'm calling at the perfect time, then. Destiny really likes you, you know?"

"Huh?"

"Ever since I got back from Saffron, I've been working on a saddle for Pidgeot. Well, I guess he was a pidgeotto at the time, but now it's Pidgeot. When I saw Pidgeotto, I mean Pidgeot in Saffron, I figured he'd evolve soon."

"Wait, so you're saying that you made Pidgeot a saddle?" asked Ash for clarification purposes.

Bill wasn't always the easiest person to understand.

"Yeah," replied the pokemon researcher, "we had a conversation back in Saffron about you needing a saddle, so I figured I'd use some of my free time to make one."

He paused, "I made one for Dragonite, too! They came out rather nicely if I say so myself. Pidgeotto's, I mean Pidgeot's, should fit. I made it adjustable since I didn't know his exact size. How big is he by the way? I reckon he's at least ten feet—"

"Bill," interrupted Ash, elated, "have I ever told you that you're an awesome friend! I was just having a conversation about needing a saddle but not having the money; it's like you read my mind! You're a godsend!"

"A godsend, eh?" queried Bill with a smile. "An awesome friend and a _bloody _godsend. You're too kind, my friend."

For a second, Ash thought that Bill was going to tear up, but he didn't. There was a bit of a glimmer in his eyes and knowing his friend's track record for crying over any comment involving their friendship, Ash wouldn't have been surprised. However, one way or another, Bill kept his emotions in check.

"Ash, you're in the lobby right now, right?"

"Yeah," answered Ash with curious eyes. "Why?"

"Go find an available PC," said Bill matter-of-factly.

"A PC?" questioned Ash, "I've never used one of the Pokemon Center's PCs. What do you want me to do with it?"

"Just go find one," retorted Bill. "I registered you to use the PC system for transporting items. You haven't had to use the PC, since I terminated your carry limit. But, it would be wise for you to learn how to use it anyway. It's a rather important tool for pokemon trainers."

"Oh, gotcha'," said Ash, understanding where Bill was coming from. "Give me a second to go find one."

"Yuppers."

Ash pressed the mute button on his xtranceiver before walking over to Skylar to let her know what was going on. After giving a brief summary that lasted less than a minute and listening to Skylar give him a hard time over how lucky he was, Ash made his way over to the small, open computer lab that was directly to the right of the lobby's front desk.

Out of the eight PCs in the lobby only two were being used, so Ash didn't have a problem finding one. Due to the spacious nature of Celadon's pokemon center, it didn't surprise him that it was easy to find an available computer. As a matter of fact, there was a full-fledged computer lab in the Recreational Wing that you could go to if you planned on utilizing a PC extensively. These PCs were primarily for quick usage.

Once Ash had settled into the stationary chair in front of the PC of his choosing, he pressed the mute button for a second time, allowing Bill to hear his voice.

"Alright," said Ash, catching his friend's attention, "I'm at a PC."

"Good," answered Bill. "Now, the PC itself should already be on, so what I want you to do is press the small little button in the bottom right hand corner of the monitor."

Listening to his friend, Ash pressed the button as described in Bill's directions. The screen on the black, flat-screen monitor lit up, revealing the PCs desktop. On the desktop were several icons scattered about a pink, digital wallpaper. Ash wasn't too familiar with computers, so he didn't recognize most of them. But, he was able to identify the universal symbol for internet and a couple others.

"What do I do now?" asked Ash.

"You can see the desktop, right?" questioned Bill, making sure that Ash was following him.

"Yeah."

"Alrighty, then," muttered Bill. "Do you see a pokeball icon somewhere on the screen?"

It was on the top left corner of the screen, in-between an image of a pokedex and the internet browser icon.

"I see it."

"Use the mouse to select it, double-click, and wait for it to load," explained Bill.

Ash did as he was told, dragging the small, black device – which corresponded to a little, moveable pointer icon on the screen – over the pokeball before double-clicking the button on the left side of the mouse. He may not have had too much experience with computers, but he knew enough to understand that the left button was used for selecting while the right opened up a tab full of options.

After double-clicking the pokeball icon, there was a short loading period before a new screen popped up. The new screen had five primary options: Deposit Pokemon, Withdraw Pokemon, Deposit Items, Withdraw Items, Log Out. In the top left corner of the screen was a little bubble that read, _Please insert pokedex into dock before selecting an option._

"Once it loads, look for the pokedex dock and put yours in it. It should be somewhere on the desk next to the monitor."

"Found it," said Ash, who had taken his pokedex out of his jacket pocket while he was listening to Bill explain what he had already found out on his own.

Ash inserted the pokedex into the dock, making sure to put it in correctly. As soon as the pokedex was connected, the information in the bubble on the top left corner of the screen was replaced with his name and Trainer ID number.

"Okay, I plugged my pokedex in…what do I do now?"

"Click on Withdraw Items," said Bill. "After it takes you to a new screen, there should be two options. Click Item A and Item B; it should place them both in a box that will pop up."

"Done and done," said Ash as he clicked on the two available options.

In subsequence, a small box appeared in the bottom right corner. Right above it were the words _Check Out_, whereas inside of it items A and B were listed.

"So, if one of these items is the saddle, what's the other?"

"The copy of _The Prophecy of the Chosen One_," replied Bill matter-of-factly. "It took me a while to track it down; my libraries a bloody mess."

He paused, "I read through a lot of it last night; some curious stuff in there. If you are the Chosen One, you've got quite the road ahead of you. Your journey will be nutty as hell. It's rather exciting actually."

"Your sending me the prophecy, too!" blurted Ash, surprised. "Dang, Bill, you're on a roll today."

"Damn right I am," snorted the researcher with a look of accomplishment on his face. "I'm Bill _bloody _Montgomery. There's nothing I'm not willing to do to help out a friend."

He paused, "That might be a bit of an exaggeration. I can think of a few things that I wouldn't do to help out a friend, but most of those are entirely inappropriate or just flat out unethi—"

"Okay, okay, stop!" interjected Ash before his friend got too carried away. "You really need to learn how to keep thoughts like that to yourself."

There was a long break in conversation as Bill seemed to be contemplating Ash's suggestion.

"…why?"

Ash shook his head in an amused manner. What was he thinking? Of course, Bill couldn't wrap his head around the concept of having a filter.

"Anyways," said Ash, trying to get back on topic, "I've selected both of them, and they're in the 'Check Out' box. I'm assuming I click on the 'Withdraw' icon underneath it."

"That's correct," replied Bill, "but before you do, locate the transporter pad. There should be one somewhere close to the PCs. If not, go ask Nurse Joy. It may be set up somewhere behind the front desk."

Ash surveyed the open computer lab in attempt to find what Bill was describing. He settled his eyes on a decent-sized table that was set up next to the farthest PC to his left. Resting on top of the table was a bulky, heavy-duty printer and what looked like an oversized digital scale.

"Does it look like a weight scale?"

"Yeah, but it should have a clear, gel-like surface."

"Do you want me to get up and check?" asked Ash.

"Eh, it doesn't really matter," answered Bill. "Just keep an eye on it. If it is the transporter pad, your items will appear on top of it after you click on 'Withdraw'. I just wanted you to find it if it was out in the open. You don't want some bloody cock-up to swipe your stuff. If that's not it, it's in a secure place behind the counter."

"Gotcha'."

He dragged the mouse so that the cursor was on _Withdraw_ before looking into his xtranceiver for Bill's approval.

"Go ahead," muttered the curly-haired researcher.

Double-clicking on the tab, Ash waited with anticipation. As a new window opened on the screen that had a revolving pokeball in the center of it, acting as the loading icon, and underneath it read, _Withdrawing_, in bold, white print.

His line of sight shifted from the PC's screen to what he assumed to be the transporter pad as a flash of white light, sounding and looking like a pokeball release, was emitted from the surface of the machine. At that moment, Ash stood up from his chair, ignoring Bill's curious chirping in the background.

He made his way over to the machine. By the time he got to it, the flash of light had ceased, and two depository cases sat atop the platform.

"I should be looking at two depository cases, right?" asked Ash into his xtranceiver as he stood over the transporter pad.

"Yup, the system gives you the option of using depository cases for items that are too big for a transporter pad. I probably could have gotten away with depositing the book without a depository case, but I thought I'd save myself the trouble just in case the Pokemon Center had a small transporter pad."

"Oh, okay," Ash responded as he picked up both of the depository cases and examined them, "did you have to use two?"

"Technically, no," replied Bill, "but those aren't my depository cases. They're the systems. And if you use the system's depository cases, every item has to be placed in a different one so that it can account for the number of items."

"Huh?" questioned Ash. "That doesn't make sense."

"Actually, it does," retorted Bill, "but there's no need for you to strain your brain trying to figure it out."

"Err…okay," snorted Ash. "What do I do with them after I retrieve the saddle and the prophecy. They belong to the system, so I can't keep them, right?"

"It's a pretty simple process," said Bill. "I'll explain it to you after you get the items out."

Ash proceeded to go through the process of withdrawing the saddle and prophecy from the two depository cases.

The prophecy came out first, having been released by the bright blue light that was emitted from one of the depository cases. Ash didn't bother opening it up, but he did take a moment to look over its exterior.

It was a thick book with plenty of pages; however, he'd read through textbooks bigger than it when he was studying for the Trainer Qualification Exam. The front and back cover were made out of worn, black leather, and scattered about on both sides were strange golden characters.

Out of all of the book's external features, the golden characters were definitely what stood out to him the most. Each one of them was distinctive, and they looked symbolic and ancient. At the same time, Ash couldn't help but feel like there was more to them than a simple translated meaning. It was as if they were alive, ready to leap off of the book at any moment.

"What do these characters mean?" Ash asked Bill curiously.

"They're insignia of the Unknown—a legendary power that is said to exist everywhere in our world," answered Bill, scratching his head. "At least, that's what I've been told. My specialty isn't ancient legends and prophecies. You'd have to ask an expert."

"Oh, okay…" drawled Ash, clearly confused.

"Whatever, I'll look through it later," he continued as he took off his backpack and put the book inside. "Anyways, let's take a look at this saddle. I'm excited to see what it looks like."

"I'm excited to see your reaction!" exclaimed Bill with a massive grin on his face. "I think you'll love it!"

Nodding his head, Ash released the saddle from the confines of the depository case. As it came into view, his eyes instantly widened and his jaw dropped. He was speechless; it was remarkable.

"Wow…Bill, I don't know what to say."

"There's no need to say anything," he answered with a smile. "Friends help friends out. That's all there is to it."

"I know," stammered Ash, "but this…well, it's amazing."

The saddle that Bill had put together for Pidgeot was absolutely incredible. Its base was dark green in color, made out of what looked like polished dragon scales. As a matter of fact, they almost looked like they could belong to—

"Are those Dragonite's scales?" asked Ash with a look of realization on his face.

"Yup," said Bill with closed eyes and a nod, "I got the idea while I was working on Dragonite's saddle. You wouldn't believe the amount of loose scales that guy has. He grows them at a bloody ridiculous rate. And when you factor in his size, the quantity is out of this world. I figured that if I polished the scales until they were silky smooth and welded them together, it would make a good, protective skirt to go underneath the saddle's seat."

"Awesome…" drawled Ash.

At this point, he was getting stares from several people in the lobby. Well, technically it was the saddle that was drawing the attention, but still…a bunch of people were looking at him, including Skylar, who had been paying close attention to him ever since he retrieved the depository cases from the transporter pad.

"What's the seat made out of?" asked Ash, wanting Bill to explain it to him as fast as possible so that he could store it in one of his depository cases. The interested gazes of the lobby's onlookers were starting to bother him.

"The seat is made out of mamoswine fur," informed Bill with a wink, causing Ash's eyebrows to rise. "We had a couple of rugs made out of different species' fur at the lighthouse. Apparently, my grandfather had a thing for collecting pokemon hides."

Ash grimaced, "Sounds like quite the hobby."

"Yeah…" muttered Bill, noticing the strain in Ash's voice, "I called my dad about that. He claims that gramps got the hides from already deceased pokemon, but who knows. He wasn't exactly a tender hearted man."

The ten-year-old boy gulped. Bill's grandfather and Robert's dad didn't sound like them at all…

"Anyway," said Bill, attempting to get back on topic, "it was just rolled up in a closet collecting dust. It doesn't matter how we got it; that hide will be way more useful protecting you from the grind of riding Pidgeot than it was at the lighthouse."

He paused, "Go ahead and feel it."

All Ash needed to do was look at the seat on his new saddle to know that it was comfortable, but he listened to Bill, bending down and running his fingers through the brown and white fur that was thickly layered in the center of a bed of dragon scales.

"Bloody soft, right?"

"Whoa, I never would have guessed that mamoswine fur was this cushiony," he said, impressed by the hide's consistency and texture.

"I know, right!?" blurted Bill. "You'd think it would be _way _more course!"

Ash couldn't help but smile. He could see in Bill's eyes how much he loved talking about stuff like this. Even though he could be a bit ridiculous and melodramatic at times, Bill really was a good person. If he treated others the way he treated Ash maybe people would have a better opinion of his personality.

After checking out the seat, Ash took off his backpack and searched for the depository case that he wanted to put it in. Once he found it, he went through the various steps necessary in order to properly deposit the saddle before turning his attention back to his xtransceiver.

"We'll talk about the saddle in more detail the day after tomorrow," said Ash. "I'm going to need your help in order to figure out how to put it on Pidgeot."

"Sounds like a good idea to me."

He made a face that clearly portrayed curiosity, "Are you getting some reactions?"

"Yeah," replied Ash. "Too many actually…it's a little much."

"Positive or negative?"

"They seemed mostly positive," answered Ash, interested as to why Bill was asking.

"_Hmm…_I see," murmured Bill in a contemplative manner, "and _you _definitely like it, right? You're not just humoring me?"

"I like it a lot, Bill," retorted Ash. "Why are you being so self-conscious?"

"It's nothing like that. I'm just gathering data. Depending on how your saddle holds up, I'm thinking about starting a new company. Good saddles are hard to come by you know. I think I may be onto something."

Ash blinked a couple of times before letting out a sigh. Bill was unpredictably predictable.

"Follow your heart, Bill."

Tears welled up in Bill's eyes that caused the dark-haired boy to sweat drop, "Are you crying?"

"N-n-no," stammered the overdramatic researcher, "I just got something in my eye!"

"Something in your eye, really?" queried Ash, amused. "Is that the best lie you could come up with?"

"_Ahhh, _nothing gets passed you, Ash!" cried Bill. "It was just…that was some of the best advice I've ever gotten.

"_Follow your heart, Bill_," he repeated to himself in a theatrical manner while closing his eyes and holding both of his hands out in front of his as if he was surrendering to something. "That was so bloody inspirational!"

In attempt to break his friend free from his downward spiral of outrageousness, Ash held the PC system's two empty depository cases in front of his xtransceiver so that Bill could see them.

"Hey, Bill, I don't mean to interrupt, but could you explain to me what I do with these now?"

"Oh, yeah, no problem," replied Bill, snapping out of his trance of extremely dramatic behavior as fast as he entered it in the first place. "Just place them back on the transporter pad, go back to the PC you were using earlier, and double-click 'Deposit Items'."

Unsurprised by his ability to easily divert his friend's point of focus, Ash followed Bill's rather simple instructions and returned the depository cases to their rightful place.

"So, what are you going to do now?" asked Bill, realizing that they had accomplished what they needed to.

"I'm pretty hungry, so I think I'll get a quick bite to eat before winding down for the day. It's been a long one."

"Understandable," replied the researcher, "I'll let you go then. I should probably get back to working on Dragonite's saddle anyway. I promised him that it would be finished before we go flying tonight."

"Gotcha'," said Ash with a smile. "Good luck with the saddle. Remember, I'll be calling you in a couple of days so that you can explain to me how to put on Pidgeot's saddle."

"I'll be waiting, my friend," responded Bill, reciprocating Ash's grin.

"Thanks for everything, Bill. Talk to you later."

"Bye, Ash. Enjoy the remainder of your time in Celadon."

"_Click."_

The screen on Ash's xtransceiver displayed that the call had ended before fading to black. Now that he was done talking to Bill, he made his way back over to Skylar.

"Thanks for being patient," said Ash with a slightly guilty face.

He couldn't help but feel bad. Even though his conversation with Bill was essential for his journey, he was in the middle of hanging out with Skylar, who had been adamant about spending time with him before he left Celadon. Hopefully, she wasn't upset.

"No problem," chirped Skylar with glimmering eyes, catching Ash off guard. "I saw the saddle. It was gorgeous!"

"I know, right!?" answered Ash, relieved. "Bill may be a goofball, but he's a miracle worker when it comes to stuff like this."

"I see that. You're lucky to have someone like that as a friend."

Ash nodded, flashing Skylar a smile.

"Anyways," said Skylar, "while you were talking to Bill, I checked to see how your pokemon were doing. Nurse Joy told me that she'd have them back to you in about a half-hour."

"Really?" queried Ash. "That soon?"

"Yeah, although the battle was tough, apparently there weren't any significant injuries. I'm guessing they'll still need to rest for a couple of days, but I reckon you don't need me to tell you that."

"I know," answered Ash politely. "They won't be doing anything for at least two days. And even after that, their training will be light until I'm sure that they have recovered enough."

He paused as he stood up out of his seat, "For now, why don't we go get something to eat at one of the cafeterias? I'm starving, and by the time we finish eating, my friends should be good to go."

"Sounds good," murmured Skylar. "Can I make a request, though?"

"What is it?" asked Ash curiously.

"Can we go to Cafeteria B? My parents went to go eat at Cafeteria A, and I'm kind of enjoying this time away from them. They've been a little overbearing ever since the _incident."_

She let out a sigh, "Especially my mom."

"Yeah, of course," answered Ash with a grin. "We haven't gotten to spend much time one-on-one anyway, and I'm having fun talking to you. I _really _like your parents, but this is nice. Even if it's just thirty minutes, I'd like to be alone with you for a little bit longer."

"Uh…y-yeah," stammered Skylar as her face all of a sudden turned bright red.

"Awesome," replied Ash obliviously. "I wonder what's for dinner? The cafeterias have been putting out some great stuff the last couple of days. Mac and Cheese sounds great right now…maybe a tofu burger. _Gahh, _I'm so hungry!"

He paused as he realized that Skylar still hadn't gotten up out of her seat, "Is something wrong?"

"N-nope!" managed Skylar, abruptly leaping out of her chair.

Her face was still as red as a hot coal.

"Are you sure?" asked Ash pointing at her face. "You look a little red. Do you have a fever or something?"

"I feel fine!" exclaimed Skylar, getting even redder.

She folded her arms and stormed off in the direction of Cafeteria B, "Let's go, Ash!"

"Okay…" drawled, needing to jog a short-distance in order to catch up.

Girls sure were strange sometimes.

XXX

After spending the day making phone calls and exploring Celadon's mostly residential southeastern district with Skylar, Ash found himself sitting across from her at a small noodle shop, not too far from the Pokemon Center.

Despite the fact that he didn't have any money, Skylar had insisted on buying him dinner, since it was his last night in Celadon. He attempted to be polite by ordering the cheapest item on the menu, but Skylar saw through him in a heartbeat, unwilling to settle for anything less than one of the restaurant's pricier ramen dishes.

It was delicious, but Ash couldn't help but feel guilty while eating it. Having to mooch off of friends wasn't something he was used to. Until Celadon, he had been smart with his money. Sure, he had been given a plethora of gifts from people throughout his journey; however, being unable to buy his own meal was something that he hadn't experienced until now.

It sucked. Regardless of the fact that he had a Silph Co. Platinum Card, he wouldn't let this happen again. Purchasing helpful TMs wasn't an excuse. He couldn't be doing things like this. There were just too many instances where he needed _actual _money, especially when he was in a city like Celadon.

"Did you have fun today?" asked Skylar, breaking him free from his rumination.

"I did," replied Ash with a smile. "It was peaceful. There wasn't as much to do in comparison to the other districts, but the scenery was nice. It was a great way to cap off my time here."

"I understand where you're coming from," said Skylar. "It's a quiet part of the city. I don't find myself down there often, but when I do, it's refreshing."

Ash nodded, agreeing with her.

His time today with Skylar really had been nice. For the most part, they hadn't been entirely alone. Eevee spent a lot of the day on the outside with them, which was necessary. Not only did Skylar want to spend time with her silver coated friend, but it was beneficial for Ash and Eevee's relationship to have someone that knew the kit so well acting as a mediator.

With that in mind, it's not like Ash and Eevee's relationship had started out on uneven ground. But, Skylar was able to help navigate them through the awkwardness of getting to know each other. By the time Eevee was ready to go back inside of her pokeball, Ash was rather confident that their partnership would be a good one.

There were parts of her personality that would _definitely _be interesting to deal with during training; he'd known that before, but it was becoming more and more evident as time went on. Be that as it may, Ash was excited. He couldn't wait to get her out of the city where he could truly get to know her without any distractions.

Speaking of getting out of the city, Ash couldn't wait to set out for Fuchsia. It was time. He could feel it in his bones. He was itching to enter into the next phase of his journey. Disregarding the Game Corner, he had seen all there was to see in Celadon. When it came to the city itself, there was nothing left for him to do.

He planned on setting out early in the morning. The Worthingtons would see him off. Ash told them that it wasn't necessary, but that wasn't how they felt, which made him happy. For the past week, the Worthingtons had been great to him; almost to the point where they felt like extended family.

He wanted to spend as much time as possible with them until he left. After all, there was no telling when he would see them again. He didn't plan on coming back to Celadon any time soon—at least until the situation with the Game Corner had been taken care of, and the aftermath of whatever epic battle took place had been resolved.

Ruphus had offered to drive him to the city's western exit, which was where he'd chosen to depart from. When he had decided that he would fly with Pidgeot to Fuchsia, he had originally imagined taking off from anywhere in the city. But, he had changed his mind when he realized how debilitating being dirt poor was.

He wouldn't make any money unless he battled against trainers, and he likely wouldn't find any soaring through the skies. So, instead of flying the whole way, he had decided to travel through Route 16 on foot before flying over the Cycling Road to Route 18, which he would also trek the old fashioned way.

Not only did this give him an opportunity to make some money, but it also offered him more time to prepare for Koga. If he left things how they were now, he wouldn't be ready to take on the poison-type expert. Erika had been difficult enough. According to more than one source, the overzealous Koga hadn't even lost a match using his League-registered team. What kind of stupidly powerful pokemon would Koga unleash on someone like him, who had more than three badges?

Ash had to admit, he was nervous to find out—

"_Jeez_…" drawled Skylar, catching Ash's attention, "that's his _fifth_ bowl."

"Huh?" queried the dark-haired boy, confused as to what she was talking about.

"The guy at the bar," whispered the pretty blonde. "He came in at the same time as us, and he's already eaten five bowls of ramen."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I've been paying attention," she smiled as a look of amusement breached her facial expression. "Look at the bartender's face. He's blown away."

She paused, "I think he just ordered another one."

"How's that even possible?" asked Ash. "It's not like the bowls are small…I could barely finish one."

It might have come off as slightly bizarre that they were paying such close attention to the random stranger stuffing his face at the bar, but since he was the only other customer in the shop, it was kind of hard not to notice. He may have slipped passed Ash's radar before on account of his busy mind, but now that Skylar had pointed him out, it was impossible to ignore him.

He didn't know what was more amazing; the fact that he was on the verge of devouring six bowls of ramen or that he could accomplish such a feat while looking the way that he did. If someone were to present him with the fact that there was a man capable of eating six humongous bowls of noodles, Ash would answer with, _how fat is he?_

However, as far as he could tell, this person was in extraordinary shape. It was hard to gauge his height because he was sitting down, but Ash estimated he was pretty close to six-feet tall. His physique was lean and toned; all it took was one glance to tell that he was athletic.

In terms of appearance, he was a fairly good looking guy with dark-brown eyes and long brown hair that cascaded down to his shoulders. He wore a fashionable black suede jacket over a navy blue t-shirt, and grey tapered pants that looked extremely pricey. If Ash were to guess, he'd say that he was in his late teens, possibly early twenties.

There were very few times that he diverted his attention from the noodles in front of him, but when he did, his mannerisms portrayed that he was a rather happy-go-lucky guy, having fun interacting with the bartender.

It wasn't until the man got up and walked in the direction of the restroom that Ash realized he was a pokemon trainer. The backside of his belt had been covered by the back of his jacket and the bar seat, but now that he was moving around, Ash could see the plethora of assorted pokeballs attached to his trainer belt.

On account of the quantity and variety of capture devices docked onto his belt, it was obvious that he wasn't an average trainer. He saw pokeballs, great balls, ultra balls and even a few other capture devices that he didn't recognize.

Since ultra balls weren't allotted to the general public, Ash had all the proof he needed to conclude that he was someone of importance. Taking into account that the man had at least a dozen visible pokeballs on his person, it was clear that – just like Ash – his carry limit had been nullified, likely meaning that he was a proven trainer with a good reputation from the League.

As the man vanished behind the bathroom door, Ash turned to Skylar, "Did you see the pokeballs around his belt?"

"Yeah," replied Skylar, "what about them?"

"Well, he had ultra balls," said Ash, pointing out one of the things that stood out to him the most. "You can't get ultra balls unless your a big deal."

Of course, Ash had gotten ultra balls of his own from coming in third in the SS _Anne _tournament, but that was a special event sponsored by Robert Montgomery. Under normal circumstances, you would have to be someone that the League deemed suitable to use such a powerful capture device, typically a high-ranking official; even then, there was talk concerning Robert's unwillingness to distribute them in high quantity to the League.

Simply put, they weren't something that even a _great_ trainer could get their hands on unless they had some noteworthy connections within the League.

…Who in the world was this guy?

"I see…" drawled Skylar with a curious look on your face, "he sounds interesting. Why don't you talk to him?"

Skylar had a good point. If Ash wanted to know who he was, the best thing he could do was introduce himself. He wasn't the best when it came to striking up conversations with strangers, but he had gotten better as of late. It's not like it would be too weird. Other than Skylar, he was the only other person in the shop after all.

Just as Ash made the decision to try and talk to the intriguing man, he stumbled out of the bathroom. He was gingerly grabbing his stomach, muttering something about indigestion when he abruptly and awkwardly locked eyes with Ash.

On impulse, Ash wanted to look away as if he had just been caught checking out a pretty girl, but he stopped himself, understanding that he would only be making things more awkward.

"Hey, kid?" said the man, catching Ash off guard.

Like an idiot, Ash pointed to himself, acting as if there was a possibility that he wasn't the one being talked to, "Me?"

"Yeah, _you," _he retorted before shuffling over to Ash and Skylar's table.

"W-what is it?" stammered Ash—thrown off by the man's brisk approach.

There was a moment of silence as the man looked back and forth between both Ash and Skylar with a contemplative expression.

He cleared his throat before shifting his focus on solely Ash. His eyes were as fierce as a gyarados right before battle.

With an assertive tone of voice, the man looked deep within Ash's soul and asked, "Are you on a _date?"_

Ash just about fell out of his chair; he couldn't believe the words that just came out of the man's mouth.

"N-no!" blurted Ash, glancing at a bright red Skylar. "We're just friends!"

Skylar didn't say anything, turning redder and redder with every second that went by.

"Really?" asked the man in a sly manner. "That's not what the lady's face says."

"S-s-skylar?" managed Ash.

She looked down at the table, unable to make eye contact with him

"Kid, kid, kid," he repeated, shaking his head disappointedly, "don't let your inexperience mess with the girl's head. Be a man; acknowledge her feelings…"

"What the hell are you—"

All of a sudden, Skylar lifted her head, giving the man a look that said, _say one more word, and I'll kill you._

"Ah, I see," he replied with a frown, "it's one of _those_ situations…"

Without permission, he pulled a chair from one of the tables next to them and sat down. Ash noticed him glance down at the pokeballs around his waste, "So, you're a pokemon trainer, eh?"

Ash nodded.

"Do you travel with this girl?" the brown eyed man asked as he gestured his head toward Skylar.

"Nope," said Ash, "we only became friends recently…why?"

Ignoring Ash, he turned his attention to Skylar. "Better tell him before he leaves. There's a lot of pretty girls out there; it would be a shame if you missed out. Of course, if you traveled with him, you could prevent something like that from happening. But, you can't do that in Celadon….that is, unless you—"

"I get it! I get it!" yelled Skylar, leaping out of her chair. "Can you please just stop!?

"Hey, now, little lady, I was just helping you out…" he replied, raising his hands in the air like he was about to be arrested.

At this point, Ash had a feeling that he understood what they were talking about. He wasn't the best at understanding girls, but in this situation, he didn't have to be. It was being spelt out for him.

Thanks to the man sitting next to him, Ash now knew that Skylar had a crush on him. However, at least for now, it was obvious that she was trying to keep it a secret from him. He'd never been in a situation like this before, so he didn't know what to do. That's when something deep within him shouted, _change the subject!_

"You're a pokemon trainer, too," stated Ash nonsensically. "What's your name?"

"Andrew," said the man with a smirk.

It was apparent that he knew what Ash was doing, but luckily he went along with it anyway, "What about you?"

"Ash Ketchum."

As soon as Ash said his name, the man's eyes lit up with recognition.

"Ash Ketchum, eh?" he queried. "You're that rookie that Kent's been raving about; the one that found out about what's been going on in Celadon and helped rescue Robert Montgomery. I was hoping I'd run into you."

It was then that it finally clicked, and he remembered the name of the first-class ACE trainer that had been sent to Celadon to take care of the Game Corner: Andrew Gerdes. Ash was sitting next to the man that was said to be on par or even stronger than Kent Barringer.

He looked across the table at Skylar, who seemed to still be in a daze regarding their previous topic of discussion. Nevertheless, he didn't want her to hear anything that she had no business knowing, especially since she had been hurt by Team Rocket. He didn't think Andrew was dumb enough to bring it up in front of her, but then again, he seemed to have a rather laid back personality.

Who knew what he would do in this situation?

"Yeah, that's me," said Ash, "and you must be Andrew Gerdes of the ACE Corps."

"As I suspected, you've heard of me," he replied.

His expression turned from carefree to serious in an instant, "Must be Sabrina; rumor has it she's quite fond of you."

He paused, "Anyways, would you mind stepping outside with me for a moment? I have a few things that I'd like to discuss with you. We can do it right here, but I have a feeling that the little lady's in the dark..."

Once again, Ash glanced over at Skylar. She looked at him with an expression that portrayed that she understood. Ash had a feeling that she knew more than he thought she did. At the very least, she had her suspicions.

"Yeah, no problem," replied Ash before standing out of his chair and shifting his attention back to the pretty blonde, "I'll be right back. This shouldn't take long.

Skylar nodded while Andrew stood up out of his chair as well.

Don't worry," the ACE trainer said with a quirky smile, "We'll make it quick. I'll have your _boyfriend_ back to you in no time."

"B-b-boyfriend," spluttered Skylar, turning red once again.

Ash's face flared up as well.

This guy was something else…

XXX

"That girl in there's the one you rescued from those shitty Rocket grunts, isn't it?" questioned Andrew, initiating the conversation.

"You know about that," replied Ash, adjusting his jacket.

It was starting to get cold, evidence that winter was just around the corner.

"Sabrina told me when she called to follow up," he said with a nod and a funny facial expression. "First time I'd seen her face since I was ten…damn, she's fine."

Ash ignored the bit about Sabrina's looks before asking a question of his own.

"How long have you been in Celadon?"

"Since yesterday," he replied with a shrug. "Just long enough to visit the Police Department and do some recon on the Game Corner."

"You talked to Officer Jenny?"

"Briefly," answered Andrew. "I spent most of my time chatting with those grunts that you defeated. Those assholes were stubborn, but I got what I needed from 'em."

"What's that?"

He smirked, "The exact location of the hideout inside of the Game Corner. I figured I wouldn't waste my time snooping around for something I could get from those shit heads."

"What was the recon you did at the Game Corner, then?"

He laughed, "I guess recon isn't the right word. I actually spent the day gambling. That place is a blast, you know."

Ash couldn't help but laugh, "You spent the day _gambling_ in the enemy's base?"

"Damn right I did! One of the perks about being an ACE trainer is that almost no one knows your identity. I'd have to be an idiot not to take advantage of something like that. Besides, by the end of tomorrow that place will be up in flames. It's infested to the core with Rockets. No use in trying to preserve anything."

"It's happening tomorrow?"

"Yup, there's nothing left for me to do here but destroy that bastard Petral. You know that slimy little shit walks around the Game Corner like he's God's greatest gift to earth. I _can't _wait to show him what a real badass is like."

If those words came from anyone else, Ash would say that they were cocky. But, there was something about Andrew Gerdes that made him feel like he could trust every word that came out of his mouth. His confidence was through the roof, but every word of it was believable. Ash had only known him for a short while, but there wasn't a doubt in his mind that he would crush the Game Corner. Despite his quirky personality, his presence was _that _impressive.

"Where are the rest of your men?" asked Ash curiously.

"Eh, most of them are back at headquarters," stated Andrew, "the rest are on other assignments."

Ash's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped.

"You don't mean—"

"It's just me," he interrupted with a massive smile.

"J-just you?"

"Yup, just _this _guy," Andrew replied, using his thumb to point toward himself.

"…How are—"

"Don't worry, kid, missions like this are my specialty. When it comes to situations like this, my men would just get in the way."

Ash was speechless.

…Was this really okay?

"Anyways, before I forget, there's a specific question that I really want to ask you."

"U-um, yeah?" stuttered Ash, still at a loss for words.

"Are the rumors true?"

"What rumors?"

He crouched down to Ash's level, so he could look him directly in the eyes. "Is Executive Ariana _really _as sexy as they say she is?"

Ash buried his face in his palm, "You've gotta' be kidding me?"

XXX

After talking with Andrew Gerdes, walking back to the Pokemon Center, saying goodbye to Skylar for the day – who was still a bit flustered about what had happened back at the noodle shop – and taking a nice hot shower, Ash lay underneath the covers of his bed as Growlithe and Eevee played on the ground beside him.

He couldn't help but smile. Ever since Eevee had watched Growlithe battle against Erika's vileplume, the two new teammates had gotten along splendidly. Eevee seemed to admire Growlithe as the leader of the team, and his puppy pokemon was doing a good job of treating her with respect and kindness.

"Alright, you two, it's time for bed," said Ash, catching both of their attention.

Obeying his best friend, Growlithe hopped up onto the foot of the bed, snuggling up against his leg.

Eevee, however, looked at him with a confused expression. It was obvious that she was unsure of what she was supposed to do.

"You can either sleep in your pokeball," explained Ash as he pointed at the worn pokeball on the nightstand to his right, "or you can sleep in the bed with Growlithe and I."

He paused, "Lately it's just been Growlithe. But you're pretty small, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Eevee flashed him an aggravated facial expression, undoubtedly a result of Ash calling her small, before leaping up onto the bed and finding a spot next to Ash that was to her liking. Ash took that as a rather straightforward way of saying that she wanted to stay outside of her pokeball.

Now that everyone was comfortable, Ash reached over and flipped the switch at the base of the lamp on the nightstand. He felt Haunter's presence in the room intensify as he left his shadow and submerged into the darkness, ready to take away tonight's nightmares.

Not too long after the lights were out, Ash could hear the sound of Growlithe's gentle snoring. It was a sound that he had gotten accustomed to over the past three months. Ash wasn't even sure if he could sleep without it anymore; there was just something about it that was comforting to him.

On the other hand, due to the way that she was tossing and turning, seemingly having a difficult time getting comfortable, Ash could tell that Eevee was struggling to get to sleep. There was no way for him to know the exact reason, but if he had to guess, he'd say that it was because this was her first _real _night with him, where she wasn't inside of her pokeball.

It would take at least a little bit of time for her to get used to this new life. Ash knew it, and she knew it. She would get used to it; Eevee was tough. She wouldn't let something like this eat away at her sleep for too long. This was her decision after all. She wanted this.

Be that as it may, just because she needed to get used to being with Ash and his other pokemon, didn't mean that she was the only one with work to do. This new relationship worked both ways. And if Eevee was going to be smoothly integrated into the team, it would require Ash and everyone else's help as well.

With that in mind, he reached over to Eevee and used his fingers to scratch behind her soft ears. At first, she slightly resisted, surprised by Ash's actions. But, after the initial response from Ash's touch, she settled down, eventually falling asleep while he pet her.

Once Eevee was asleep, Ash couldn't help smile as he reflected on his time in Celadon. It really had been a fun time and a great change of pace in comparison to Saffron, but he couldn't wait for tomorrow. He felt nothing but excitement when he thought about venturing to Fuchsia. With every new city came brand-new challenges, and the journey to get there was always enjoyable.

By this time tomorrow, he would be camping under the stars...

He couldn't wait.

XXX

"Good luck, Ash," said Ruphus as they stood in front of Celadon's western gate. "You've got our numbers, so feel free to call anytim—"

"Bye, hon!" interrupted Ellen, expectedly wrapping him up in one of her suffocating hugs.

"H-h-help..."managed Ash before Skylar finally managed to pull her tearful mother off of him.

Growlithe let out a series of barks, making sure his departure wasn't overlooked. He had grown fond of the Worthington family as well. It was only natural that he was treated the same way as Ash, right?

"How could we forget saying goodbye to you, Growlithe!?" blurted Ellen as she caught him within her devastating clutches.

"Be careful what you wish for…" muttered Ash under his breath before Skylar softly grabbed him by the wrist, catching his attention.

"Th-thanks for everything you've done for me, Ash," stammered Skylar, slightly blushing. "I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

"D-don't mention it," replied Ash, cheeks heating up. "I'd do it again in a heart beat."

"I know you would, th-that's what I like the most about you. You're a hero down to your very core."

"I don't know about that," muttered Ash, closing his eyes and scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

His eyes all of a sudden snapped open when he felt a soft, warm sensation on his cheek. It was Skylar. For a moment, her lips were pressed up against his cheek.

It was a k-k-kiss. As Skylar quickly pulled away, clearly embarrassed, Ash brought his fingers up to his cheek, subconsciously placing them on the spot that Skylar had touched with her lips.

Ash watched in astonishment as she briskly looked over her shoulder to see if her parents had noticed. Fortunately, Ruphus was too preoccupied trying to pry his wife off of Growlithe to notice.

"I-I know it was probably made obvious yesterday, but _I l-l-l-like_ you, Ash."

At this point her face was as red as Charmeleon when he was swallowed by blaze.

"I-I-I—"

He was interrupted by Skylar as she pressed her index finger up against his lips.

"You don't need to answer me now," she said with a smile, "I just needed to tell you my feelings before you left. It was my way of making sure that you don't forget about me."

"I wouldn't have—you didn't have to—"

"I wanted to," said Skylar before showing him the cutest smile he had ever seen in his life.

All of a sudden, they were interrupted when Growlithe loped back to Ash's side. He was breathing heavily—an obvious sign that he had been excessively squeezed by Ellen.

"Ash, before you leave," started Ruphus as he and a guilty Ellen walked back up to them, "there's someone that I _have _to see."

Ash didn't have to think twice to know who Ruphus was referring to. He had been waiting for this moment. It was inevitable.

Unclipping Eevee's pokeball from his belt, Ash gave him a nod before releasing the silver kit. When the flash of white light faded, she looked around at her surroundings. She glanced up at Ash first before settling her eyes on Ruphus.

She knew what this was. _This _was it.

"Eevee," said Ruphus as he squatted down to her level, "I know we've had our differences, but I really am going to miss you. You're a good girl."

He reached out and patted her on the head, "Good luck out there, and don't forget to treat your new trainer with respect. I expect to hear nothing but good things from Ash next time we talk."

Ash couldn't help but feel a little guilty as he watched tears well up in Eevee's eyes. Was he coming between them?

At that moment, Ruphus looked up at him and nodded. There was a big smile on his face. It immediately reassured him that he was doing the right thing.

This was _their_ decision. This was what was best for everybody.

Once the moment between Eevee and her previous trainer was over. Skylar and Ellen said their goodbyes. Eevee didn't seem to care about parting with Ellen, doing everything she could to avoid her embrace. However, Skylar was a different story. As far as Ash could tell, saying bye to Skylar was just as hard as saying bye to Ruphus

They were friends, and Skylar had done more for Eevee than anyone else. It was only natural that parting would be hard.

Nevertheless, they got through it. They had to.

In the moments after Eevee's farewells, there was one last round of goodbyes for good measure before Ash looked down at Growlithe and Eevee.

"Alright, guys, let's go."

As he started to slowly walk backwards through the gate, he noticed that Eevee wasn't moving. It wasn't surprising. The other side of the gate was the starting point of a new adventure for her. She was bound to be apprehensive.

While glancing back at Ruphus, Skylar and Ellen, who were staring at him with anticipative eyes, Ash made his way back over to Eevee before crouching down like he'd seen Ruphus do just moments prior.

He looked in her eyes softly before patting her on the head.

"Don't worry…this may be goodbye for now, but we'll come back someday. Just because you've got a new home with me doesn't mean that the old one disappears. They're part of your family…which means they're part of mine."

He looked up, locking eyes with Skylar, "We'll be back. I promise."

"...There's no way we'd forget Celadon..."

XXX

To be continued…

XXX

A/N: I want to thank you once again for being patient. March was super busy for me, so it was a struggle to maintain my writing pace. I'm happy I got Celadon finished for you, though. Kanto 13 will likely start off with a couple week timeskip. I'm leaning towards picking things up in Fuchsia and leaving a lot of what happens during his trip over a mystery. This won't be a permanent scenario between cities. I just want to try it once to see how it works. I know you guys love the traveling aspect, so I'll get back to it after the Fuchsia arc. Anyhow, don't forget to favorite, follow and review as well as check my profile!

Thanks for reading!

Much love, vincentgrey21.


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